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Cat

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  1. Here it is in it's ENTIRE form... well, without the smileys... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10/24/04 quiltys41 Ok everyone...how about some favorite Thanksgiving recipes to brighten everyones kitchens and get those tummies growling...and NO we cant all have just desserts all day How about some turkey recipes that use a deep fryer or some good old home tried and true cornbread dressing? Anyone ever have a recipe by Justin Wilson for sweet potato pecan pie from his first cookbook? (OK, just a little dessert) Im hoping for something different but not exotic for my thanksgiving table this year. ************ westbrook I just raise and dress out the turkey I don't have to cook it! I cook turkey all year long..it is off to Grandma house for Thanksgiving. but when I do cook a turkey, I bake it breast side down. ********** unikemom I'll get out my recipe file and post a couple of ideas here, tomorrow when I have a little more time.... *********** unikemom For Thanksgiving we always have the traditional Turkey, and a ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, a sweet potato dish, and several veggies, and of course more than enough desserts. Here are a couple of my favorite recipes..... ORANGE GLAZED SWEET POTATOES 6 SWEET POTATOES 3/4 CUP BOILING WATER 1 TSP.SALT 3 TBSP. BUTTER 1/2TBSP. ORANGE ZEST 1 TBSP. ORANGE JUICE 3/4 CUP LIGHT CORN SYRUP 1/4 CUP PACKED BROWN SUGAR RAISINS (OPTIONAL) 1 CUP PECAN HALVES SLICE SWEET POTATOES/ COMBINE PEEL, JUICE, CORN SYRUP, AND BROWN SUGAR. ADD SWEET POTATOES, BOILING WATER, AND SALT TO A LARGE SAUCEPAN. SIMMER, COVERED, UNTIL TENDER; THIS SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 15 MINUTES. DRAIN OFF LIQUID.LEAVING 1/4 CUP IN SKILLET. DOT POTATOES WITH BUTTER OR MARGARINE. POUR ORANGE JUICE MIXTURE OVER POTATOES. COOK, UNCOVERED,OVER LOW HEAT UNTIL GLAZED, AN ADDITIONAL 15 MINUTES. BASTE OFTEN AND TURN ONCE WHILE COOKING. MAKES 6 SERVINGS... ****ROAST PECANS AND SPRINKLE ONTO POTATOES BEFORE SERVING*** SQUASH CASSEROLE 6CUPS YELLOW SQUASH ( CAN BE 1/2 AND 1/2 YELLOW AND ZUCCHINI) 2TBSP. VEGETABLE OIL 1 BUNCH OF GREEN ONIONS, (CHOPPED) 4 TBSP. BUTTER 1/2 CUP SOUR CREAM 1 TSP. HOUSE SEASONING (RECIPE FOLLOWS) 1 CUP GRATED CHEDDAR CHEESE 1 CUP. CRUSHED RITZ CRACKERS PLACE VEGETABLE OIL IN SKILLET, ADD SQUASH,(I ADD A LITTLE WATER TO MINE, ABOUT 1/4 CUP) COOK UNTIL SQUASH IS TENDER. IN SECOND SKILLET ADD BUTTER AND SAUTEE GREEN ONIONS UNTIL TENDER. WHEN ONIONS ARE TENDER, POUR THEM OVER INTO SKILLET WITH SQUASH, THEN ADD SOUR CREAM AND HOUSE SEASONING, MIX UNTIL WELL BLENDED. IN A GREASED CASSEROLE, POUR SQUASH INTO DISH, TOP WITH RITZ CRACKERS, AND CHEDDAR CHEESE, PLACE IN A 350* OVEN UNTIL CHEESE IS MELTED. ______ HOUSE SEASONING GARLIC POWDER SALT PEPPER SEASON SALT ____ ASPARAGUS AND PROSCIUTTO 2 POUNDS ASPARAGUS( HALF GREEN/ HALF WHITE) 1 TSP. SALT 2 TBSP. BUTTER 2 TBSP. OLIVE OIL 1/4 POUND PROSCIUTTO, CHOPPED GRATED RICOTTA SALADA BRING LARGE POT OF WATER TO A BOIL AND ADD SALT. ADD ASPARAGUS AND COOK UNCOVERED UNTIL KNIFE IS EASILY INSERTED. THEN DRAIN ASPARAGUS. IN A LARGE SKILLET HEAT BUTTER AND OIL. ADD PROSCIUTTO AND FRY UNTIL IT BEGINS TO CRISP. ADD ASPARAGUS AND HEAT THROUGH. TRANSFER ASPARAGUS AND PROSCIUTTO TO SERVING PLATTER AND SPRINKLE WITH CHEESE. ______ SAVANNAH BOW TIES 1 SHEET OF PUFF PASTRY 1/2 CUP ALMOND PASTE 1 EGG YOLK, WHITE RESERVED 1/4 CUP BROWN SUGAR 2 TEASPOONS MILK 1 EGG WHITE SUGAR , FOR SPRINKLING CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE, RECIPE FOLLOWS LET PASTRY STAND AT ROOM TEMPERATURE FOR 20 MINUTES OR UNTIL EASY TO ROLL. UNFOLD PASTRY ON A LIGHTLY FLOURED SURFACE. ROLL INTO A 14-INCH SQUARE. CUT SQUARE IN HALF WITH A FLUTED PASTRY WHEEL (PIZZA CUTTER). PREHEAT OVEN TO 400* DEGREES. FOR FILLING: CRUMBLE ALMOND PASTE IN A SMALL MIXING BOWL. ADD EGG YOLK, BROWN SUGAR, AND MILK. BEAT WITH AN ELECTRIC MIXER ON MEDIUM SPEED UNTIL WELL MIXED. SPREAD FILLING OVER 1 PASTRY HALF. PLACE REMAINING PASTRY HALF ON TOP OF FILLING. USING FLUTED PASTRY WHEEL, CUT DOUGH CROSSWISE INTO FOURTEEN 1- INCH WIDE STRIPS. THEN CUT EACH STRIP IN HALF CROSSWISE TO MAKE 28 PIECES. TWIST EACH PIECE TWICE. PLACE TWISTS ABOUT 2 INCHES APART ON COOKIE SHEETS LINED WITH FOIL OR PARCHMENT PAPER. BRUSH TWISTS WITH SLIGHTLY BEATEN EGG WHITE. SPRINKLE WITH SUGAR. BAKE FOR 12 TO 15 MINUTES OR UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN. TRANSFER TO WIRE RACKS TO COOL. SERVE WITH CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE. *** ALMOND FILLING WILL BE VERY STIFF. TO MAKE SPREADING EASIER, DROP A DOLLOP OF FILLING UNIFORMLY OVER PASTRY, SPRAY A PIECE OF WAX PAPER WITH NON STICK SPRAY, PRESS ALMOND PASTE EVENLY OVER ENTIRE DOUGH WITH ROLLING PIN. ****** CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE 3/4 CUP SUGAR 2 TBSP. CORNSTARCH 1/4TSP. SALT 6 (1.5 OZ.) MILK CHOCOLATE BARS 2 CUPS WHIPPING CREAM 1 EGG YOLK, BEATEN 1/2 TSP. VANILLA STIR TOGETHER IN SAUCEPAN SUGAR, CORNSTARCH, AND SALT. CRUMBLE CANDY BARS IN 1 AT A TIME. GRADUALLY STIR IN CREAM. COOK AND STIR IN MEDIUM HEAT UNTIL CHOCOLATE IS MELTED. TEMPER EGG YOLK WITH 1/2 CUP OF HOT SAUCE. ADD BACK TO POT AND COOK AND STIR UNTIL MIXTURE COMES TO A BOIL. REMOVE FROM HEAT. STIR IN VANILLA AND POUR INTO A SERVING BOWL. ANY REMAINING SAUCE CAN BE POURED INTO CUSTARD CUPS, REFRIGERATED AND SERVED AS PUDDING..... OK, THAT IS JUST A FEW OF MY FAVORITES NOW SOMEONE ELSES TURN WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES????/ ********** Mare Those yams sound so yummy! The squash casserole sounds something like a superb casserole I had at a restaurant called the Black-Eyed Pea in Wichita, KS. I will definately be trying those. Thanks! This is one of our favorites......as well as Cavey's addition of bacon to the bird. Cranberry Walnut Relish ½ C. granulated sugar (I cut it to 1/4) 1/4 C loosely packed dark brown sugar 1/4 C maple sugar 3/4 C water 1 T ground cinnamon 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1 lb fresh or frozen cranberries 4 naval oranges, peeled and divided into segments ½ C. coarsely chopped walnut pieces Bring the sugars, syrup, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook gently, 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and continue to simmer, uncovered, until half the berries ?pop?. Remove from heat and stir in the orange segments. Cool, stir in the walnut and serve. Makes 5 cups. Prep time 5 min, cook time 10 min. This recipe is so easy, and it tastes like Christmas smells. *********** georgene Is Puff Pastry the same as Phillo dough? Your recipes sound wonderful! Thanks for sharing! ********* Homesteader The turkeys in Asia are pretty puney. They look more like bodybuilding chickens. We're going to the local Japanese hotel and eat their buffet. I've never had gibblet gravey over rice before. ******** unikemom Puff pastry and phyllo are similar, but puff pastry is a lot thicker dough and way easier to work with, where as phyllo is paper thin and tricky to work with. ********* quiltys41 Homesteader I laughed so hard reading that about the turkeys. Thanks so much for the laugh ********** quiltys41 I am going to try the orange glazed sweet potatoes this year cuz they sure do sound good and the cranberry relish is the recipe i have been looking for! this is going to be fun cooking! Ok, here is my contributions to the recipe fund: =================== Scalloped Corn 2 cups canned corn 1 cup milk 2/3 cup cracker or bread crumbs 3 TBS melted butter 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 1 TBS sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp minced onion Beat the eggs and add milk and crumbs. Add the corn, onion, seasoning, and melted butter. Mix together well and pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Serves 6. ========================= Cornbread dressing 1 cup diced celery 1 medium onion, chopped 1/4 cup butter 3 cups dried and crumbled cornbread 2 cups dried and crubled biscuits 1 TBS salt 1/4 tsp thyme 1/4 tsp sage (optional) Mix all ingrediants well and stuff into turkey or cook along side turkey or ham in the pan. Add water or broth as needed to keep moist. (this came from an old farm cook book in the 1890's) ==================================== Willie Maes Peacan Pie oven to 350 9" pie crust (recipe to follow) mix together the following: 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 TBS flour 1 tsp salt 1 cup light kayro syrup Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time. Add 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup peacans and 1 tsp vanilla. Bake 50 minutes till firm. Makes one delicious pie ==================================== Jeri's never fail pie crust 3 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup shortening 1 egg, beaten 1 tsp vinegar 1/3 cup cold water Mix flour and salt. Mix in shortening. Mix liquids together in seperate bowl and then add to flour mixture. This will make enough dough for 3 double crust pies. It will keep in the fridge for 3 months and in the freezer up to a year. It never fails to come out flaky and you can roll it as much as you can and it still stays flaky. Even I cant mess this one up Enjoy yall and keep them recipes coming ********** My4Girls Deck the hall with boughs of rolly...fa ra ra ra...ra ra ra ra..No! No! It's fa la la la..la la la...lol I love that part. Our favorite is always green beans with bacon, even though I cook it all the time. Fresh baked bread with lots of seeds and a little salt on top. Then for the turkey, I like to rub it all over with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and a touch of poultry seasoning. Then cook it at a higher temp. until the skin is brown and crisp, then turn down the heat and let it roast until done. I think I'll try some squash casserole. I LOVE squash. Savanahh bowties and scalloped corn, another fav., sound good too. Love MOM ************ AlieKeith Cranberry Walnut Relish ... 1/4 C maple sugar ... So, Mare, what is maple sugar? It sounds marvelous! Is it maple syrup crystallized or similar? And maybe something I could also use in baking recipes? I am looking into gifts-in-a-jar, and maple sugar might be a good thing to give someone, if I had a recipe in which they could use it, like yours. I've used the recipe below mainly for Christmas, but you could use these in T-Day stuffing or sweet potato casserole etc -- for those who like raisins in their dishes. It's a simple recipe for Rum Raisins, and I sent jars to my family last year: Rum Raisins Loosely fill a large jar or bowl with lid, with raisins, making sure to stir them up and break the clumps into individual pieces. Pour enough rum over them to come about halfway up the level of the raisins. [use a rum with a really nice flavor, like Cap'n Morgans spiced rum.] Cover and let sit on counter for a couple of weeks, stirring to bring the bottom raisins up to the top, and "basting" them with the rum once a day if you think of it. [i suppose a "fast soak" could be done by heating the raisins in the microwave first, getting them to soften before you pour the rum over them.] Put them into jars or other containers and you're set. I use a spoonful or two in hot cereal, or about a half-cup to a cup could be used in baking cakes / muffins etc, or in puddings. Alie Jo, hunting in the recipe box and cook books... ************ AlieKeith Scalloped Corn Quilty, do you think the corn dish would be hurt if I left the butter out? I'm trying to go low-fat as much as I can, get my high LDL number to come down... Well, if not, I guess it can't hurt to try it for a holiday. It sounds wonderful! ******** quiltys41 Alie, I'm sure you could use a low fat option to the butter. This is an old Mennonite recipe and mostly what we had on hand was butter. Let me know how it turns out and good luck getting that cholesterol down ********** AlieKeith you could use a low fat option to the butter... Let me know how it turns out and good luck getting that cholesterol down Thanks, I'll need all the luck I can get! I will look for some kind of substitute, and let you know how it works out, yes. Thanks again, Alie Jo ********** Mare Alie Jo, the maple sugar is similar to brown sugar. It is like a granulated sugar, and is made from maple syrup. I don't know how you would make it. It is not readily available here, though you can purchase it through Amazon. I just add a tablespoon of pure maple syrup to the relish. The rum raisins sound so good, and I'm going to buy a bottle of Captain Morgan this weekend so I can make some. I think they would be super in muffins and oatmeal, or mixed with Rum Topf over pound cake or ice cream. Thanks for the recipe. Sort of a funny story along the same lines. Years ago my parents lived in a desert retirement town when news came out that raisins soaked in gin would help relieve pain from arthritis, and people swore that it really worked. The town only had one liquor store, and for weeks, would sell out of gin as fast as it came in. Now I wonder......did the gin soaked raisins really work, or was it just the gin??? ********** Ferretma Although those recipes sound great, I'm minimizing sugar and saturated fat so I'll try something different. About the turkey, I also roast for half the time breast side down, then flip it and finish breast side up. That allows the juices of the turkey to flow into the breast during the first half of cooking and then seal and brown it during the last half. It is a lot of work to flip a turkey but it is worth it! Do this over the (clean) kitchen sink so that any mishap isn't a disaster! *********** Cat Our Traditional Thanksgiving meal This is what we have each Thanksgiving. The *must-haves* are the turkey, dressing (stuffing), cranberry salad, mashed potatoes & gravy, sweet corn (home frozen), and pumpkin pie. The salads and any other side dishes vary, according to what we have had recently and what the children want. I don’t worry about what brand of turkey we have, because it is usually moist and flavorful stuffed with dressing and basted with Pepsi-Cola. I suspect the sugar in the Pepsi seals the juices inside. It mixes with the turkey juices and makes a delicious, slightly sweet gravy that the kids like. TURKEY Thaw the turkey according to safe instructions, thinking ahead so it’s thawed completely. If it’s not completely thawed, you can bake it, but I wouldn’t stuff it because the turkey will keep the stuffing at a dangerous temperature for too long. Just bake the stuffing separately, and roast the turkey longer. On Thanksgiving, go to bed early so you can get up in plenty of time to prepare the dressing and get the turkey into the oven in time for plenty of time for it to roast. (You can take a nap after getting it into the oven!) Save the roasting instructions when you unwrap it, plus the weight tag if you won’t remember. You can place it into a plastic baggie if you don’t want to wash your hands a lot, because when you’re checking the instructions you don’t want to get raw turkey juices into the other foods you’re preparing. Be very careful with raw meat juices and wash your hands and work surfaces well. The turkey has two cavities… one in front (the neck area with extra skin) and one in back (goes deep inside). Check both areas; you will find a neck and a packet holding the “giblets” - liver, heart & gizzard. Remove these, then rinse the turkey well. I pull out some kind of tube (esophagus?) that is sometimes left inside the body cavity. I also like to pick out any little pinfeathers and any obvious black spots left over from the feathers (they look like blackheads) because it “grosses out” the kids. I put the giblets in a small pan and put it into the refrigerator until I’m ready to use them. Or if you KNOW you won’t use them, just go ahead and throw them away instead of letting them spoil slowly in a Tupperware bowl. I rinse and clean them, then boil the neck, heart & gizzard in water until cooked, cool, remove any meat or chop them, and use them for noodles the next day. I fry the liver separately, slicing any thick spots, for a treat for myself after the turkey’s in. I spray my roasting pan with a vegetable oil spray, just to help it not stick. Place the turkey inside, and prepare the stuffing. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. If you don’t have a large bowl, just leave your cleaned turkey in your sink and use the roaster to prepare the dressing. (I wipe down the sides of the roaster before the turkey goes in, so the leftover bits don’t burn & mess up the flavor.) You’ll need to pull the legs out from the tail area so you can stuff the turkey easier. Notice how the processors jammed the tail in after placing the legs, and re-do it the same way. (Or grab a clean string and tie it, if you get too frustrated!!) Stuff both cavities loosely with dressing, because the dressing will expand slightly as it cooks. Replace the legs & tail, and place the neck’s skin down over that cavity’s dressing. I have a 6-inch needle-like thing that I string through the skin of the neck and back to hold it in place. It you’re roasting the turkey breast-side-up, it should be ok if you just fold it under and let the body “hold” it, if you have nothing else. Place the stuffed turkey into the roasting pan, and pour about a cup of prepared chicken broth over it. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast if the turkey doesn’t have a “timer” from the processor. Cover with the lid or make a “tent” with aluminum foil and place over it. This keeps the turkey from browning too soon. Place into the preheated oven, breathe a sigh of relief, and set the timer for at least an hour. Baste with Pepsi after 1 hour, then every half hour, uncovering turkey for the last half hour to brown. For my large, 20-pound turkeys, I’ll use about a half-liter of Pepsi. For a smaller one, one can will be enough. After the Pepsi is poured completely, baste with pan juices. Plan to roast your turkey as long as the directions say, and maybe allow extra time “just in case”. All ovens do not bake exactly the same (it helps to get an oven thermometer so you know what the temp. is. I once had an oven that baked 25 degrees below what it was set for.) And it helps in carving the turkey if it sits for 15 minutes before carving. OYSTER DRESSING This is something I brought to our marriage from *my* home. My husband didn’t like it at first, because he said he never liked “wet bread”, but he’s grown to like it. I catch him eating it as a snack after the dinner! 1 c finely chopped celery (optional) 1/2 c chopped onion 1/2 c butter or margarine 8 c dry bread cubes 1 tsp. poultry seasoning 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp pepper 2 eggs oysters (save liquid) - 1 pint fresh, drained and chopped, or a can of Campbell’s oyster stew, unmixed with milk, rubbing cooked oysters into pieces as you pour it in 1/2 -1 c chicken broth (depending on oyster liquid amount) In a saucepan, cook celery & onion in butter until tender but not browned. Remove from heat. Place bread into large bowl, pour onion mixture over bread, then spices, eggs, and prepared oysters. Mix together well, then drizzle broth over as you mix, until well mixed and moist, not soggy. You may add more bread, dry or fresh, if desired. (Fresh bread needs less liquid, but kind of dissolves into mush.) Stuff turkey, roast as above. Or place in greased casserole dish, cover, and bake 45 minutes to an hour before turkey is due to be finished. Uncover last 10 minutes. OPTIONS: You could cook the giblets (except liver) early enough to add that meat into the dressing. You can cook shredded carrot with the onion & celery to add for color & more veggies. I usually double this recipe because I buy big turkeys. You can make your own dry bread cubes easily. I have a gas stove with a pilot light, so I place the “heels” of bread, leftover buns, or any other leftover unsweetened bread products on the oven rack to dry. If I have a lot, I slice them into cubes and dry them on a cookie sheet the same way, stirring occasionally. Store them in a plastic baggie, pushing out the air before sealing. BEST CRANBERRY SALAD This is from my husband’s family, and my side of the family now likes it better, though for them, tradition includes sliced cranberry jell from a can, too. If you don’t have a microwave, heat juice & gelatin in a small saucepan until gelatin is dissolved, stirring constantly. 1 bag fresh cranberries 2 c sugar 1 c chopped English walnuts or pecans 1 c seedless white grapes 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (Knox brand) 1 15 -20 oz can crushed pineapple 1 sm container Cool Whip Freeze cranberries in the sack, then rinse quickly and run through food grinder. (Alternative: rinse unfrozen berries then grind in food processor or blender, making sure you use the lid!) Mix ground cranberries with sugar, stir together & let stand. Rinse & halve grapes (quarter if very large or if you have small children), chop nuts, pour into cranberry mixture. Drain juice from pineapple into glass measuring cup; mix pineapple into cranberries. If needed, add enough water to juice to make 1 cup liquid. Sprinkle dry gelatin into juice and stir, then heat in microwave and stir until gelatin is dissolved completely. Mix into cranberries, stir thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate. When it is almost “set” (1-2 hours), stir in Cool Whip, then refrigerate. This is easy cranberry salad for kids to love, but watch the size of the grapes if children are small. Don’t want anyone choking! MASHED POTATOES 10 potatoes, more or less as desired water salt milk butter Fill your saucepan with cool water, then peel potatoes and place them into the water while you continue peeling. (They quickly turn dark in the air.) Cube into uniform pieces so they cook evenly. Add 1 tsp salt to the water before cooking, making sure all potatoes are covered with water. Add 1/2 tsp butter or margarine to the potatoes to prevent them from boiling over easily. Cook over high heat until boiling, then reduce heat until they’re simmering; cook until tender. Drain. Add about 1/4 c milk, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3 tsp butter or margarine. With electric mixer, mix until smooth, fluffy and white, adding more milk, salt or butter as desired. Mashed potatoes are best when freshly made, so most cooks make them at the last minute, along with the gravy. I’ve found that you can make them up to 2 hours ahead and place them in a preheated crock pot on low, and they will stay perfectly until time to eat. The crock pot keeps them moist and hot. You can not make potatoes taste right if they’re not cooked *with* salt. They absorb it and no amount of salt added afterward makes it the same. (OPTIONAL FIX-IT - If your mashed potatoes get too “runny”, mix in some dried instant potato flakes until they are the desired consistency. No one will even know!!) If you occasionally have lumps in your potatoes, tell the children that they are “lucky lumps”, and whenever they get one to make a wish. This keeps THEM happy, you calmer, and your husband can enjoy his meal in peace. MAKE-AHEAD MASHED POTATOES These can be made the day before and heated as the turkey finishes. Make mashed potatoes as above, and mix in 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature and cubed). Place in greased casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil or lid, and refrigerate. When ready to bake, place in oven at 325 - 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes, covered until last 5 minutes. May be topped with grated cheese before serving. TURKEY GRAVY 2 c turkey juices from roasted turkey 1 Tbsp grease from the juices salt to taste pepper if desired 1 Tbsp corn starch 2 Tbsp cold water Pour pan juices into small saucepan, season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat to boiling. In a cup, mix corn starch and cold water together until smooth. While juices are boiling, stir cornstarch mixture into it, stirring constantly, and cook and stir until smooth and thickened. ALTERNATIVE: 1 Tbsp turkey grease/fat 2 Tbsp flour 2 c turkey juices salt & pepper to taste In a saucepan, heat fat. Using a wooden spoon, mix in flour, which will gather into a soft ball with the fat. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture is fluffy and looks moist, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth until mixture is smooth, and cook until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper. SWEET CORN This is how I freeze my sweet corn for winter: Husk and clean fresh sweet corn. Wash; cut from cob raw. 6 quarts cut corn with any liquid 3 Tbsp salt 3/4 c sugar In a large pan, put corn, salt and sugar. Barely cover with water (corn cooks down somewhat and you’ll have plenty of liquid). Bring to a boil; let boil 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool, put into freezer containers and freeze. PUMPKIN PIE (makes 2) 4 eggs, beaten 1 1/2 c sugar (I use 2 c) 1 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cloves 3 1/2 c cooked, pureed pumpkin (1 29-oz can) 2 12-oz cans evaporated milk Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix in order given, stir well. Pour into 2 prepared deep-dish pie pans. (If you have extra, put into slightly greased custard cup or small casserole and bake until “set”.) Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Pies are done when filling is “set”, or the tip of a butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean instead of with filling on it. Cool, serve with Cool Whip. COTTAGE POTATOES This is from my husband’s family. I will write the original recipe, but this is one if those recipes that you make as you like it. If you don’t want cheese, or prefer chopped ham instead of the sausages, or hate green peppers, or have no red peppers, just DO it! 10-15 cooked potatoes, diced 1 c chopped onion 1/2 c chopped green pepper 4-5 Tbsp butter or margarine 1 lb. mild cheese, cubed 1 small jar pimentos, chopped, or 1/4 c fresh red sweet pepper fresh snipped, or dried parsley to taste 2 small cans “Vienna Sausages”, cut up and also save liquid 2 cans cream of celery soup 1 c torn-up fresh bread or stuffing cubes little milk or water crushed corn flakes for topping Cook onion and green pepper in butter until onion is clear. If fresh sweet red pepper is used, cook slowly in 1 Tbsp butter, separately. In bowl, mix juices from sausages with soup, add a little milk until smooth and creamy. Stir everything together, then pour into a 9x13” baking pan and top with crushed corn flakes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. OPTIONS: Use cream of chicken soup, or other cream soup. Add ham, chicken or turkey instead of the sausages. Add corn, broccoli, or other vegetables. PUMPKIN BREAD 6 eggs 3 c sugar 2 1/4 c oil 3 1/2 c cooked & pureed pumpkin (1 29-oz can) 3 tsp vanilla 4 1/2 c flour 2 1/2 tsp baking soda 3 tsp baking powder 2 tsp salt 3 tsp cinnamon 3 c chopped walnuts or pecans Grease and flour 5 loaf pans (or 5 1-pound coffee cans). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat eggs, add sugar and beat well. Add oil and pumpkin, mix well. Mix dry ingredients together, stir into pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts. Fill pans or cans equally. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. These freeze well. SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE This is a favorite from my family, again. Mom just mixes it up, so I’ll guess at the amounts. 1 large can yams or sweet potatoes 1/2 c brown sugar, packed 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 2 eggs, beaten 1 Tbsp milk marshmallows, large or small, to cover top Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Drain potatoes, mash. Mix everything together, saving marshmallows for top. Pour into greased casserole, top with marshmallows and bake 30-45 minutes, until hot and marshmallows are slightly browned. BROCCOLI SALAD 1 c Miracle Whip salad dressing 1/4 c sugar 1 Tbsp cider vinegar 2 bunches broccoli, chopped small 1 small red onion, diced 1/4 c sunflower seeds (the inside “meats”) 1 c raisins 8 slices bacon, fried and crumbled, or 1/2 c prepared bacon pieces Mix Miracle Whip, sugar and vinegar together, let sit. Mix vegetables together, stir dressing once more and then mix into vegetables. Cover and refrigerate. GERMAN CHOCOLATE PIE MY favorite chocoholic indulgence!! A deep, rich chocolate baked pie… YUM!!! 1 ½ c. sugar 4 Tbsp. butter, melted ½ can evaporated milk (about 6 oz.) 4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 2 eggs ½ c. chopped pecans ½ c. coconut 2 tsp. vanilla Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Beat sugar & butter until well blended. Add rest of ingredients; mix well. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake until top is brown & crusty, about 30 minutes. Serve at room temp. (OPTIONAL – double pecans and eliminate coconut.) (I usually just make 2 pies, using the entire can of evap. milk.) ************ AlieKeith COTTAGE POTATOES ...this is one if those recipes that you make as you like it. If you don’t want cheese, or prefer chopped ham instead of the sausages, or hate green peppers, or have no red peppers, just DO it! This recipe sounds goood! I may not wait till T-Day to try it. Besides, it's good to find a recipe that takes well to fiddlin'. I like to experiment. In fact, on occasion, my [extended] family has asked me "please don't put food in the food." But they might actually like this, ya never know... ********** AlieKeith I just add a tablespoon of pure maple syrup to the relish. This sounds viable. I will try it. Thanks! I'm going to buy a bottle of Captain Morgan this weekend... [rum raisins would be good] mixed with Rum Topf over pound cake or ice cream. So how is your raisin-basting coming along? What is Rum Topf? Actually, just about anything sounds good over pound cake or ice cream. news came out that raisins soaked in gin would help relieve pain from arthritis... I wonder......did the gin soaked raisins really work, or was it just the gin??? You mean, any excuse for a tipple? Hmmmmm..... ************ Kernah You can make your own puff pastry, there is a bit of rolling and folding involved. Filo is more for Greek dishes. ************ amyd I've made this one a couple of times and plan to do it for Thanksgiving this year. Got it from allrecipes.com. Turkey Dressing Bread 1 cup milk, room temperature 1 egg 1 tablespoon butter, softened 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal 3 cups bread flour 4 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion flakes 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed 3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIRECTIONS: Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select basic bread setting; press Start. Check dough after 5 minutes of mixing. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed. I made a whole turkey using this recipe last year, I just added extra water to cover the whole turkey. I marinated it in one baking bag then roasted it breast side down in my roasting pan. Makes a very flavorful, moist turkey. Cider Marinated Turkey Breast 8 cups unsweetened apple juice 1/2 cup kosher salt 2 bay leaves 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme 2 sprigs fresh sage or 1 tablespoon dried sage 8 whole cloves 6 cloves garlic 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1 1/2 quarts cold water 1 medium orange, quartered 5 lbs turkey breast cooking spray In a large stockpot, or 2 gallon freezer bag, combine the apple juice through the water. Squeeze the juice from the orange quarters and add to the brine. Stir to combine. Add the turkey, making sure it is completely submerged in the brine. Refrigerate for 8-10 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Rinse turkey under cold water and pat dry. Place turkey breast on a rack in a roasting pan. Spray the breast with cooking spray to promote browning. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Let rest 15 minutes before carving. **If doing this for a whole turkey instead of a breast you need to adjust your baking time!!! I'm sure most of you realize that but just adding my disclaimer. . . *********** 11/20/05 Cat Bringing this favorite back to the top! ********* DomesticGoddess Here are some of my "favorite" Thanksgiving recipes, as well as recipes using the leftover's from your holiday meal. Turkey Gravy 2 cups turkey drippings 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 cup milk Combine the turkey drippings, pepper, poultry seasoning and bouillon granules in a 1-quart saucepan; simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. While the gravy is heating, combine the flour and milk in a jar ( with a tight fitting lid ) shake until smooth. Slowly add the milk mixture to the simmering broth; stirring constantly with a spoon. Continue to cook and stir, until the gravy is thick and bubbly. Yield: 2 1/2 cups of gravy. For a Fat-Free Gravy: Use skim milk, and follow the method for removing fat from gravy, ( using the ice cube method ) as directed with the Savory Gravy recipe below. Calories: 7 Fat: 0 grams Sodium: 25 grams Protein: 0.4 grams ............................................................ Savory Gravy ( Gravy made from a roasted turkey breast ) 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons unbleached flour 1/2 cup milk roast turkey drippings 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1/4 teaspoon dried savory 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper Combine the flour and milk in a jar, ( with a tight-fitting lid ) and shake until smooth. Set aside. Pour the turkey drippings from the roast turkey breast into a bowl, add a few ice cubes, and skim off the fat ( once it rises and hardens ). Pour the fat-free drippings into a 2-cup measuring cup, and add enough water to bring the volume up to 1 3/4 cups. Pour the drippings mixture into a 1 1/2-quart saucepan, and add the bouillon granules and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the gravy, and continue to cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Transfer the gravy to a warmed gravy boat or pitcher, and serve hot with the stuffed turkey breast. Note: Use skim milk, and there's only 7 calories, 0 grams of fat, 30 mg. sodium and 0.4 grams of protein. ............................................................ Baked Brandied Cranberries Almost 25 years ago, my neighbor gave me this recipe. The brandy helps to cut down on the tartness of the cranberries, while the sugar gives it just enough sweetness. It's great to serve during the holidays. 2-( 12 ounce ) bags cranberries 2 cups granulated sugar 1/4 cup brandy 1/3 cup granulated sugar Place the cranberries in a glass 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Cover the cranberries with the 2 cups of sugar; do not stir. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 50-55 minutes in a 350 degree oven; until the cranberries burst. Remove from oven. Remove foil and stir. Let stand 10 minutes. Drizzle with the brandy. Stir in the 1/3 cup of sugar. Cool to room temperature; then refrigerate. Makes 6 to 8 servings. ............................................................ Better Than Traditional Green Bean Bake 2-( 16 ounce ) bags frozen green beans 1-( 10.75 ounce ) can cream of mushroom soup 1-(10.75 ounce ) can cheddar cheese soup 1/4 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 cups French's French Fried Onions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 2 1/2 to 3 quart casserole baking dish, add and stir together, both cans of soup, milk and black pepper. Bake ( uncovered ) for 45-60 minutes. Top with french fried onions, and bake ( uncovered ) 5 minutes more, until golden brown. ............................................................ Pineapple Glazed Carrots 1-(16 ounce) can sliced carrots, drained but reserving liquid (2 cups) 1-(8 1/2 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained but reserving syrup 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon butter In a 1 1/2 quart saucepan, gradually add the cornstarch and salt, with the reserved liquid and reserved syrup. Bring to boiling; stirring constantly. Cook about 3 minutes, or until the liquid is thick and clear. Stir in the tablespoon of butter. Add the carrots and pineapple; stirring gently. Heat through. Serves 4. ............................................................ I haven't prepared this squash casserole yet, but it sounds good!! Butternut Squash Casserole 3 cups mashed, cooked, butternut squash 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup margarine, melted 1-(8 ounce) can crushed pineapple ( with juice ) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/3 cup chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease one ( 2-quart ) casserole baking dish, and set aside. Combine the butternut squash, white sugar, brown sugar, margarine, pineapple, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Mix well, and pour into casserole baking dish. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. ............................................................ Baked Acorn Squash Haven't made this yet, but it does remind me of the baked squash my mother use to make; except she added a breakfast sausage link to each, before baking in the oven. 1 Acorn Squash, halved 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, divided 2 pats of butter, divided Salt & Pepper 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey, divided Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scoop the seeds out of each half with a spoon. Add 1 pat of butter, 1 tsp. maple syrup or honey, 1 Tbsp. of brown sugar, salt and pepper to the hollow scoop of each half. Place upright on a greased cookie sheet, and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender when flesh is poked with a fork. ............................................................ The following salads are salads which can be served for Thanksgiving & Christmas. Ambrosia Waldorf Salad 2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries, halved 1/2 c. sugar 3 c. miniature marshmallows 2 c. diced unpeeled apples 1 c. seedless green grapes 1 - ( 20 oz. ) can pineapple tidbits, drained 1 c. heavy cream, whipped or 2 cups ( or more ) Cool Whip In a bowl, combine the cranberries and sugar. In a 3-quart ( 12 cup ) bowl, add the marshmallows, apples, grapes and pineapple. Add the cranberries; mix well. Fold in the Cool Whip. Cover and chill. Serves 12-14. ............................................................ Cranberry Mousse 1 - ( 20 oz. ) can crushed pineapple in juice 1 - ( 6 oz. ) pkg. strawberry flavored gelatin 1 cup water 1 - ( 16 oz. ) can whole berry cranberry sauce 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 cups dairy sour cream Drain pineapple well; reserving all juice. Add juice to gelatin in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in water, heat to boiling; stirring to dissolve gelatin. Remove from heat. Blend in cranberry sauce. Add lemon juice, lemon peel and nutmeg. Chill until mixture thickens slightly. Blend sour cream into the gelatin mixture. Fold in pineapple. Pour into a 2 quart gelatin mold. Chill in refrigerator until firm. Unmold onto serving plate. Serves 8. ............................................................ Creamy Apricot Mousse 1 - ( 17 oz. ) can apricot halves 2 - ( 3 oz. ) pkgs. apricot flavored gelatin 1 cup plain yogurt 2 cups Reddi-Whip or Cool Whip, plus extra for garnishing Drain apricots, reserving syrup. Add water to syrup, ( if necessary ) to measure 1 cup; set aside. Reserve 6 apricot halves for garnish, puree remainder in blender or food processor; set aside. Dissolve gelatin in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Add apricot syrup. Chill until consistency of thick egg white, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in pureed apricots and yogurt until well blended. Gently fold in Reddi-Whip or Cool Whip. Pour into a lightly oiled 6 cup gelatin mold. Chill in the refrigerator until firm. Unmold onto a plate or platter. Garnish with extra Reddi-Whip or Cool Whip, and reserved apricot halves. Yield: 10 servings. ............................................................ Four Fruit Compote 1 - ( 20 oz. ) can pineapple chunks 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/3 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 - ( 11 oz. ) cans mandarin oranges, drained 1 Granny Smith Apple, unpeeled and chopped 1 Golden Delicious Apple, unpeeled and chopped 1 Red Deliscious Apple, unpeeled and chopped 2 to 3 bananas, sliced Drain pineapple, reserving 3/4 cup juice. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add pineapple juice, orange juice and lemon juice. Cook and stir over medium heat, until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir one minute longer. Remove from heat; set aside. In a bowl, combine pineapple chunks, oranges, apples and bananas. Pour warm sauce over the fruit; stir gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate. Yield: 10 servings ............................................................ Jell-O In A Can 1 - ( 20 oz. ) can sliced pineapple 1 - ( 3 oz. ) pkg. Jell-O Gelatin, a gelatin of your choice 1 cup boiling water Pour off pineapple juice from can, but leave pineapple in the can. Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Cool slightly. Pour into can over the pineapple. Chill until set. To serve, run knife around inside of can and tip out. Slice between the pineapple rings. Serves 4-5. ............................................................ Quick Fruit Salad 1 - ( 21 oz. ) can peach pie filling 3 firm bananas, sliced 2 cups strawberries, halved 1 cup seedless green grapes Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate until serving. Serves 6-8. ............................................................ Jurrassic Coleslaw 1 cup ( 8 oz. ) apple cider vinegar 1/8 cup or 2 tablespoons salad oil 1 tablespoon Dijon-Style Mustard 4 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons chopped onion Whisk ingredients together. Pour into a large bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. 1 head cabbage, shredded About 2 cups dried fruit ( apples, peaches & apricots ) About 1 cup dried cranberries Cover, and chill in the refrigerator before serving. Note: This is a bit "spicy", but "good"!!! ............................................................ Sweet-Sour Coleslaw 6 cups shredded cabbage 2 large carrots, peeled and shredded 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped onion 8 to 10 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, carrots, onion and bacon. In a jar, ( with a tight fitting lid ) mix vinegar, oil, sugar and salt; shake well. Pour ( liquid ) dressing over cabbage mixture, and toss. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator before serving. Serves 6. ............................................................ Delicious One Crust Apple Pie 1 - 9-inch prepared pie crust, unbaked 1 c. apple juice 1 c. orange juice 3/4 c. sugar 7 to 8 medium Golden Delicious Apples, cut into 1/2-inch wedges 1/4 c. cornstarch 1 Tbsp. butter 1/8 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract Cool Whip, for garnishing Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bake pie crust 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely. In a large saucepan, combine 3/4 c. each apple juice, orange juice and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add apples wedges. Cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer covered until tender, but not soft ( 3 to 5 minutes ). Using a slotted spoon, remove apples from juice mixture; set aside. In a small bowl, combine remaining juices and cornstarch; blend well. Stir into hot juice mixture. Cook over medium heat, until mixture thickens and boils; stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute; remove from heat. Add butter, salt and vanilla;mix well. Cool 10 minutes; add reserved apples. Pour into cooled, baked crust. Refrigerate 3 hrs. Garnish with Cool Whip. Serves 8. ............................................................ Creamed Turkey & Rice Soup This is my "favorite" home-cooked soup!! I prepare this soup every year after Thanksgiving is over. 1 turkey carcass ( from a 14-lb. cooked turkey ) 14 cups water 1 large onion, chopped fine 3 stalks celery, sliced thin 4 large carrots, chopped or sliced thin 1/3 cup uncooked long grain white rice ( If you like rice, add 1/2 cup ) 1 cup butter or margarine 1 1/2 cups flour 1 pint half-and-half cream 3 cups diced cooked turkey ( I always add 5 cups ) 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning 6 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules salt & pepper to taste In a large soup kettle or stockpot, add turkey carcass and the 14 cups of water. Bring water to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 1 hr. and 30 minutes. Remove bones; reserve meat for soup. Strain stock; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine onions, celery, carrots, rice and 1 quart (4 cups) of the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes; set aside. In a large soup kettle, melt butter. Blend in flour; heat until bubbly. Add the half-and-half, and remaining 2 quarts (8 cups) of stock, to the butter/flour mixture; cook and stir until bubbly. Stir in the reserved vegetable mixture, turkey meat and seasonings. Heat slowly to serving temperature. Serves 12-14. ( This soup freezes well ). ............................................................ Turkey Taco Soup with Avocado Cream 1-(11 ounce) can Mexican-style corn 1-(16 ounce) can chili beans, undrained 2-(14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth 1-(16 ounce) jar chunky salsa 2 1/2 cups cooked, chopped turkey meat salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons guacamole In a large pot over medium heat, combine corn, chili beans, broth and salsa. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and stir in cooked turkey. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook 5 to 10 minutes more, until heated through. Stir in cilantro. In a bowl, stir together sour cream and guacamole, until smooth. Ladle soup into bowls and top with guacamole mixture. ............................................................ "Leftover Turkey" Noodle Soup Bones and trimmings from 1 turkey ( or 2 chickens ) 6 cups water 3 chicken bouillon cubes or 3 teaspoons bouillon granules 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning or sage 1 bay leaf ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1/2 cup barley or rice, or 1 cup uncooked egg noodles 3 medium carrots, sliced 2 stalks celery, sliced 2 medium onions, sliced or chopped 2 tablespoons chopped parsley In a large saucepan, combine first 6 ingredients. Simmer ( covered ) 1 1/2 hours. Remove bones; cut off meat and return meat to broth. Add remaining ingredients, except parsley. Simmer ( covered ) 30 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender. Garnish with the parsley. Serves 6 to 8. Tip: Other vegetables may be added or substituted, such as: corn, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, peas or mushrooms. ............................................................ Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie 1 cup apple butter 1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger 3 eggs, slightly beaten 3/4 cup evaporated milk 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine apple butter, pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl. Stir in eggs. Gradually add evaporated milk and mix well. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake for about 40 minutes or until set. Serves 6. Cook's Notes: -If the crust begins to burn, place tin foil around the crust, and lower the temperature of the oven. -A tasty topping for this pie is praline pecans. ............................................................ Pumpkin Pie Parfaits 2 cups pumpkin pie filling (scooped from inside 1 cooked pumpkin pie) 2 cups vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, softened 8 tablespoons whipped cream or Cool Whip whipped topping 4 tablespoons chopped candied walnuts or pecans Spoon 1/4 cup of pumpkin pie filling, into 4 tall glasses. Top with 1/4 cup of ice cream or frozen yogurt. Repeat layers of pumpkin and ice cream. Top with whipped cream and candied nuts. Makes 4 servings. ............................................................ Pumpkin Pie Cake 1-( 15 ounce ) solid-pack pure pumpkin 3 eggs, lightly beaten 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1-( 12 ounce ) can evaporated milk 1-( 18.5 ounce ) pkg. yellow cake mix 1/2 cup ( 1 stick ) butter, melted 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, sugars, pumpkin pie spice, and evaporated milk; mix well. Pour into an ungreased 9" x 13" baking pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the batter in the pan; drizzle melted butter evenly over the top, then sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares. "This is so good"! "I just loved this dessert"! Here are somemore of my "favorite" Thanksgiving recipes, as well as recipes to prepare with your leftover turkey. Candied Yams 1 - ( 1 lb. 1 oz. ) can sweet potatoes, drained 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 3 tablesppons butter 3 tablespoons whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon salt In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and salt; cook over medium heat; stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Add the drained sweet potatoes, stir gently until glazed and heated through. About 4 servings. ............................................................ Sweet Potato Casserole 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Put into a greased 1 1/2 - quart size casserole baking dish. Topping: 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed 6 tablespoons butter, softened 6 tablespoons flour 1 cup chopped pecans Add this ontop of the sweet potato mixture. Cover and bake 35-40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Note: The last time I prepared this, I used only 1 extra large size egg ( instead of 2 ). I decreased the granulated sugar to a 3/4 cup, and decreased the milk to 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons. I also decreased the vanilla extract to 3/4 teaspoon. As for the topping, I decreased the brown sugar to a 3/4 cup. I only use 6 tablespoons each of butter and flour, and decreased the amount of pecans to a 3/4 cup. ............................................................ Jimmy Dean's Stuffing 1 lb. Jimmy Dean's Pork Sausage 1 cup chopped scallions 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 - ( 14 1/2 oz. ) cans chicken broth 3 eggs, beaten 1 - ( 16 oz. ) bag, plus 2 more slices of bread, or 1/2 of a loaf ( 8 oz. ) white bread, and 1/2 of a loaf ( 8 oz. ) wheat bread 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried, parsley 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pork sausage and drain thoroughly. Combine sausage with the next 8 ingredients. Put in a buttered roasting pan. Bake uncovered 30 minutes; then bake covered 30 minutes. Remove and top with the parsley and cheese; bake uncovered 10-15 minutes more. Note: My sister once made this stuffing for Thanksgiving, and I just "loved" it, so I had to get this recipe from her. ............................................................ Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie 1 - ( 8 oz. ) pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 cup canned pumpkin 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 - ( 8 oz. ) cont. Cool Whip, thawed 1 - 9-inch ( 6 oz. ) already-made graham cracker pie crust In a large mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, canned pumpkin, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. With an electric mixer, ( on medium speed ) mix until smooth. Gently fold in the thawed Cool Whip. Spoon into graham cracker pie crust. Refrigerate 3 hours, or until set. Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator. Makes 8 servings. ............................................................ Pumpkin Torte ( Read all the directions first ) Crust: 1 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs ( 1 pkg. ) 1/2 c. sugar Mix & add 1/2 cup melted butter. Pack lightly in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Cheese Mixture: Beat together 2 eggs, 3/4 c. sugar, and an ( 8 oz. ) pkg. cream cheese. Pour over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool. Pumpkin Mixture: 1 - ( 16 oz. ) can pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 c. milk, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Cook until thick ( 5-10 minutes ). Take off heat. Dissolve - 1 envelope unflavored gelatin into 1/4 c. cold water. Add to hot, cooked pumpkin mixture. Beat 3 egg whites, add 1/4 c. sugar. Fold into pumpkin mixture, and pour ontop of already prepared crust. Chill until firm. Top with whipped cream. This dessert may be frozen. ............................................................ Chicken, Ham or Turkey A La King 1/4 cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons chopped, green bell peppers 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 - ( 10.75 oz. ) can cream of chicken or mushroom soup 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk 1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked chicken, ham or turkey 2 tablespoons diced, pimiento Dash black pepper Toast Cook onion and green peppers in butter, until tender. Blend in soup and milk. Add chicken, pimiento, and pepper. Heat slowly; stir often. Serve over toast. Yield: About 2 1/2 cups. ............................................................ Chicken or Turkey Hot Dish 4 c. diced, cooked chicken or turkey 4 c. cooked, wide noodles ( I only used about 2 cups ) 1 - ( 16 oz. ) pkg. frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix, cooked & drained. 1 - ( 10.75 oz. ) can cheddar cheese soup 1 - ( 10.75 oz. ) can cream of chicken, celery or mushroom soup 1 soup can of milk 6 to 8 slices of Kraft cheese slices, cut in half diagonally In a saucepan, heat the soups and milk together. In a ( greased ) 13x9x2-inch baking pan, add the chicken or turkey, the cooked noodles, and cooked vegeatables; stir to coat evenly. Top with the cheese slices. Cover and bake 45 minutes, in a 350 degree oven. Serves 6-8. ............................................................ Turkey Curry Cook 1/4 cup chopped onion, in 1 tablespoon butter or margarine. Add 1 - ( 10.75 oz. ) can cream of mushroom soup, and 1/4 cup milk; heat and stir till smooth. Stir in 1 cup sour cream, and 1/2 teaspoon curry powder. Add 1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked turkey; heat through, but do not boil. Garnish with snipped parsley. Serve over hot, cooked rice. Serves 4. ............................................................ Turkey Stroganoff 1/4 cup diced, green bell peppers 1/4 cup chopped, onion 2 tablespoons butter ot margarine 1 - ( 10.75 oz. ) can cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup sour cream 1 1/2 cups cubed, turkey 1/2 teaspoon paprika 2 cups cooked, wide noodles Add some canned mushrooms, optional In a saucepan, cook the green peppers and onions in butter, until tender. In a 1 1/2 -quart casserole baking dish, blend soup and sour cream. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and bake for 35 minutes minutes, in a 350 degree oven, or until hot. Remove from oven and stir. Sprinkle on additional paprika before serving. *********** Buttercup OH Man, Domestic! I will definately be trying some of these out!!! You are awesome! ************ DomesticGoddess Buttercup, I've been called many things, but never been called awesome. It's kinda nice to know someone else thinks I am, and that I was missed. Enjoy the recipes!! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! ********** Safetylady Middle son prepared a gourmet Thanksgiving dinner Deviled eggs and cheese plate with fruit Boned stuffed turkey breast with spinach, cream cheese and whole cranberries Mashed potatoes with carmalized onions roasted Sweet potaotes green beans with lemon zest and thyme Romain salad with feta cheese and walnuts with cranberry vinegarette Rolls Pumpkin pie and pecan pumbkin pie. It was all great ********** westbrook ----------------------------- Quote: a spoonful or two in hot cereal, or about a half-cup to a cup could be used in baking cakes / muffins etc, or in puddings. ----------------------------- rum raisins a spoonfull or two on cereal in the morning? oh baby! starts your day off right! a little spoonfull on a ham and cheese sandwich another spoonfull all by itself in the afternoon.. hiccup! oh excuse me. another spoonfull at dinner.. over mashed potatos and one in the salad... you are too cute! ********* CeeGee I really don't like raisins, but RUM RAISINS? Hmmmmmm.... I just might have to change my mind! ********* westbrook now that I will be buying rum..for my raisins and medicinal purposes.... like oh I need my rum... I have a teenager! I wonder if I could pour it
  2. Well, this is it: The original, online cookbook, slim as it still was, died with the old.
  3. I tend to think it smells more like a sour yeasty smell, not unpleasant when compared to the contents of the container stuck in the back of the 'fridge for 2 months... ***************** theyd I hate to bother and sound but is something gone wrong with my starter?? It still smells, it's a dirty whitest color, but instead of being spongy it is all liguidy. And today is the day I am suppose to be able to use it. can I?? ***************** Cat Yes, exactly right, theyd!! That's how it gets. (I think that's a rather primitive alcohol... ) Just stir it in and try something. Remember, after you take out what you need for a recipe, add equal amounts of flour and water to the starter & let it ferment again. Sounds like you did it right!! ***************** theyd now I am going to go check out those recipes and give one a try. it is a little chilly here this evening and this will help take the chill off. thank you for getting back so fast ***************** theyd well the bread didn't turn out I can never get bread to turn out. unless I wear gloves, so need to get some so i can try again. ***************** debbielee AT LEAST you gave it a try Theyd!! ***************** westbrook http://www.nyx.net/~dgreenw/sourdoughfaqs.html ***************** Lois This one uses a small amount of yeast to get it started. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sourdough Starter 1-1/2 cups lukewarm milk 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 teaspoon honey 2 cups unbleached white flour 1/4 cup spring water 1. To prepare the starter, place the milk in a mixing bowl. 2. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk. 3. Whisk in the honey and 1-1/2 cups of the flour. 4. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature (72 to 76 degrees F.) for 72 hours (3 days). 5. After 72 hours, stir in the 1/4 cup water and whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup flour. 6. Cover again with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours; the mixture should be bubbly and have a sour, tangy aroma and taste. 7. Remove the amount of starter the recipe calls for and set aside. 8. Transfer the remaining starter to a sterile' glass jar and replenish it by mixing in 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. ***************** Teaberry This is a good link with tons of information on sourdough: http://www.nyx.net/~dgreenw/sourdoughfaqs.html Cat, thanks for this thread! I'm planning to start a sourdough soon. So tell me gals, what type of container do you keep your sourdough in all the time? A crock? If so, what size? ***************** Cat I use a jar that's about a half gallon size, and I tie an old dish towel over the top so that it can "breathe" without anything getting in. I suppose if I had company I'd use something "prettier" or put it away. ***************** Amber I just started mine up a week ago, and it is in a gallon glass cookie jar with lid; The kind you can get from Walmart that looks like the candy jars on old drug store counters, the upright ones, not the tilted ones. It is a regular recipe, bread flour and water, although I did cheat and add a little sugar to the yeast/flour/water start to give it a boost. I have fed it maybe three times and it is about 1/3 full. The hooch liquid is maybe an inch floating on top till I feed it again and mix it up. I tried one recipe for pancakes this past Sunday from the downunder site, but they were too thick and not the ones I wanted. I will find my recipe for flapjacks sooner or later, depending on how hard I want to clean up piles of books and magazines to find it. ***************** westbrook Quote: ________________________________________ So tell me gals, what type of container do you keep your sourdough in all the time? A crock? If so, what size? ________________________________________ I have a crock with a loose fitting lid. It is dark green to match my kitchen but sits in a dark corner so you don't actually notice it. My crock is small, not including the lid it measures 7 inches tall and 6 inches in diameter. I did not use a starter to create my sourdough, I used flour, water and honey and attracted the wild yeast from the air. Had I used a San Fran. Sourdough starter and left it out on the counter, in time the wild yeast from the air will take over the yeast in the container. To maintain that original flavor the yeast needs to be kept in the refrigerator. If you bake bread, you need to wait about 3 days or longer before you make cheese as the bread yeast will alter the flavor of the yeast used to inoculate your milk. This means that you can't leave yeast on the counter and make cheese too. I have a pretty cookie jar it could just as easily be put into. ***************** Teaberry So it doesn't take anything large at all. That's good to know then. How often do you make bread with your starter? A few years ago I found a couple of those large pickle and kraut crocks from an estate sale. There was a thread here a while back about using sauerkraut to do battle with flu. If anyone has done that before and feels a hankering to do a thread, I'd be interested in hearing how you made it. Unless it's already here and I just missed it. ***************** Cat QUICK SOURDOUGH BREAD (good for beginners) 1 tsp dry yeast 3 Tbsp warm water 2 c sourdough starter 3 Tbsp sugar 1 1/2 tsp salt 3 Tbsp dry milk powder 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 3 to 4 c flour Generously grease a 9”x5” loaf pan. In a cup, sprinkle yeast over warm water, let soften 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine next 5 ingredients and yeast mixture; beat until blended. Gradually beat in enough flour to make a medium-stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough 8-10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary. Shape dough into a loaf and place in prepared pan. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free from drafts. Let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake bread for 50 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped with your fingers. (After 30 minutes, if loaf is golden brown, cover with a tent of aluminum foil to slow further browning.) Remove from pan, cool on rack. ~~~~~~~ SOURDOUGH BREAD STARTER MIX: (do the night before) 1 c sourdough starter 2 c warm water 2 1/2 c flour Mix together in a large bowl; cover with a cloth and let stand in a warm place overnight. BREAD: 1 c milk 3 Tbsp butter or margarine 3 Tbsp sugar 2 tsp salt 1 envelope dry yeast (1 Tbsp) 1/4 c warm water starter mix (see above) 6 to 7 c flour vegetable oil for tops of loaves Pour milk into a small pan; heat until *almost a boil* over medium heat, remove from heat. Stir in butter, sugar, and salt. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle yeast over warm water; set aside to soften for 5 minutes. Stir milk and yeast mixtures into starter mix, beat until blended. Beat in 3 c flour until batter is smooth, cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free from drafts. Let rise 30-40 minutes, until nearly doubled in size. Stir down dough, gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a medium-stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead dough 8-10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary. Divide dough in half, cover and let rest 10 minutes. Grease two 9”x5” loaf pans. Shape dough into loaves and place in loaf pans, brush tops lightly with oil. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free from drafts. Let rise one hour, or until dough reaches tops of pans. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake bread for 45-50 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped with your fingers. (After 30 minutes, if loaves are golden brown, cover with a tent of aluminum foil to slow further browning.) Remove from pans, cool on rack. Makes 2 loaves. ~~~~~~~ COTTAGE CHEESE BREAD 2 c warm water 2 envelopes dry yeast (2 Tbsp) 1 c sourdough starter 2 c creamy cottage cheese 2 c shredded Cheddar or Colby cheese 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 Tbsp dill seeds 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 Tbsp sugar 2-3 tsp salt 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 c flour Warm a large bowl, pour warm water into bowl and sprinkle yeast over water. Set aside to soften 5 minutes. Stir in next eight ingredients. Add the flour about 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Clean and then grease bowl, set aside. Knead dough 8-10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free from drafts. Let rise about 2 hours, until doubled in size. Generously grease two 9”x5” loaf pans. Punch down dough, shape into 2 loaves and place in loaf pans. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free from drafts. Let rise about 2 hours, until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake bread for 40 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped with your fingers. (After 30 minutes, if loaves are golden brown, cover with a tent of aluminum foil to slow further browning.) Remove from pans, cool on rack. Makes 2 loaves. ***************** Grubby Here is the sourdough bread recipe that I use. I don't use his method for making the starter, but I do for the bread. I like this recipe because it doesn't require any additional yeast.--Shannon Here is the link. http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm Sourdough Baking Step One: Proofing the Sponge Several hours before you plan to make your dough (recipe below), you need to make a sponge. A "sponge" is just another word for a bowl of warm, fermented batter. This is how you make your sponge. Take your starter out of the fridge. Pour it into a large glass or plastic bowl. Meanwhile, wash the jar and dry it. You may also wish to pour boiling water over it, since you don't want other things growing in there with your pet! Add a cup of warm water and a cup of flour to the bowl. Stir well, and set it in a warm place for several hours. This is called "proofing," another word for fermenting. Sourdough bakers have their own language; use it to impress your friends Watch for Froth and and Sniff. When your sponge is bubbly and has a white froth, and it smells a little sour, it is ready. The longer you let the sponge sit, the more sour flavor you will get. The proofing-time varies. Some starters can proof up to frothiness in an hour or two. Some take 6-8 hours! Just experiment and see how long yours takes. If you're going to bake in the morning, set your sponge out to proof overnight. Sourdough Bread 2 Cups of sponge (proofed starter) 3 Cups of unbleached flour 2 tablespoons of olive oil or softened margarine 4 teaspoons of sugar 2 teaspoons of salt First, let's talk about leftover sponge. You should have some. The leftover sponge is your starter for next time: Put it into the jar, and give it a fresh feed of a half-cup each of flour and warm water. Keep it in the fridge as above; you'll have starter again next time. Now, for the recipe: To the sponge, add the sugar, salt, and oil (the oil is optional - you can use softened butter instead, or no oil at all). Mix well, then knead in the flour a half-cup at a time. Knead in enough flour to make a good, flexible bread dough. You can do this with an electric mixer, a bread machine on "dough cycle," or a food processor. You can also do it with a big bowl and your bare hands. Keep in mind that flour amounts are approximate; flour varies in absorbency, and your sponge can vary in wetness. Use your judgement; treat it like ordinary white or french bread dough. Let the dough rise in a warm place, in a bowl covered loosely with a towel (if you're using a bread machine's dough cycle, let it rise in the machine). Note that sourdough rises more slowly than yeast bread; my starter takes about an hour or so, but some starters take much longer. Let the dough double in bulk, just like yeast-bread dough. When a finger poked into the top of the dough creates a pit that doesn't "heal" (spring back), you've got a risen dough. Punch the dough down and knead it a little more. Make a loaf and place it on a baking sheet (lightly greased or sprinkled with cornmeal). Slit the top if you like, and cover the loaf with a paper towel and place it in a warm place to rise again, until doubled in bulk. Place the pan with the loaf in your oven, and then turn your oven to 350o Farenheit and bake the bread for 30-45 minutes. Do not preheat the oven. The loaf is done when the crust is brown and the bottom sounds hollow when thumped with a wooden spoon. Turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack or a towel and let it cool for an hour before slicing. And that's that. If you double the recipe for two big two-pound loaves of bread, the total price tag will be less than a dollar ***************** JoanN Thanks for this. I have done this before and it works wonderful Welcome to Mrs Survival too! ***************** Cat Great, Shannon! Thanks for the link and the recipe!! Here's more: Potato-Bacon Bread 2 envelopes dry yeast (2 Tbsp) 1/2 c warm water 1 c sourdough starter 2 c water 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp salt 3 bacon strips, fried crisp & crumbled (1/2 c) 2 c shredded Cheddar or Colby cheese 2 c mashed cooked potatoes 7 1/2 to 9 c flour **Plan ahead to save mashed potatoes for this bread. Amount of flour depends on the moisture of your mashed potatoes. Sprinkle yeast over warm water; let soften 5 minutes. In large bowl, mix next eight ingredients, then add yeast mixture. Stir in flour about 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition, until it makes a medium-stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly-floured surface. Clean and grease bowl; set aside. Knead dough 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Add flour as needed. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free of drafts. Let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size. Grease 3 9x5” loaf pans; set aside. Punch down dough, shape into 3 loaves and place in prepared pans. Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free of drafts. Let rise about 2 hours or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake 40 minutes until loaves sound hollow when tapped. (After 30 minutes, if loaves are golden brown, cover with a tent of aluminum foil to prevent further browning.) Turn bread out of pans, let cool. Makes 3 loaves. ~~~~~~~ Quick Sourdough Pancakes 1 1/4 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp sugar 1 egg 1 c sourdough starter 1 c milk 3 Tbsp vegetable oil In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat egg, then stir in starter, milk and oil. Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Grease griddle, use about 1/4 to 1/2 c batter and cook until golden brown. Variations: Add pecans, blueberries, bacon, or stir in about a cup of mashed banana, crushed pineapple, applesauce with cinnamon, or creamy cottage cheese. ~~~~~~~ Basic Sourdough Waffles 1 1/4 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp sugar 1 egg 1 c sourdough starter 3/4 c milk 1/4 c vegetable oil In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat egg, then stir in starter, milk and oil. Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Preheat waffle iron. Use about 1/4 to 1/2 c batter and cook until golden brown. Oatmeal Muffins 1 c rolled oats 1 c milk 1/2 c sourdough starter 1/3 c vegetable oil 1 egg, beaten 1/2 c raisins, if desired 1 c flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 c brown sugar, packed In a medium bowl, combine oats and milk; set aside to soak for 1 hour. Grease muffin pans or line with paper liners. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Stir starter, oil, egg and raisins into soaked oats; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add oats mixture. Stir with a fork until dry ingredients are just moistened. Fill muffin cups 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 12 to 14 muffins. ~~~~~~~ The Doctor’s Sourdough Bread 1 c sourdough starter 2 c warm water 2 c warm milk 1 Tbsp butter 1 pkg dry yeast (1 Tbsp) 1/4 c honey 7 c flour 1/4 c wheat germ 2 Tbsp sugar 2 tsp salt 2 tsp baking soda The night before, mix starter, 2 1/2 c flour, and water. Cover loosely and let sit. Next morning, mix butter with warm milk, then stir in dry yeast until dissolved. Mix into starter mixture with honey, mix well. Add 2 more cups flour and wheat germ. Sprinkle sugar, salt and baking soda over the mixture; gently press into dough and mix lightly. Allow to stand from 30 to 50 minutes until mixture is bubbly. Add flour until dough cannot be stirred, then place on floured board and knead 100 times or until silky mixture is developed. Form into 4 one-pound loaves, place in well-greased loaf pans, and let rise until double (2 or 3 hours in a warm room). Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 20 minutes longer until done. Remove from pans; brush tops with butter for less “crustiness”. ~~~~~~~ BUTTERMILK BISCUITS 2 c flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1/2 c butter or margarine 1 c sourdough starter 1/2 buttermilk 2 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted Lightly grease a large cookie sheet; set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the 1/2 c butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. Combine starter and buttermilk, then stir into flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead dough for about 30 seconds. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick, cut with 2 1/2-3 inch biscuit cutter (or a similarly-sized glass). Arrange biscuits with sides touching, brush tops with melted butter. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until tops are golden brown. Serve warm. ~~~~~~~ REFRIGERATOR BISCUITS 1 pkg dry yeast (1 Tbsp) 1/2 c warm water 6 c flour 1 Tbsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp salt 3 Tbsp sugar 1 c shortening 1 c sourdough starter 2 c buttermilk melted butter or margarine Grease a 10-cup plastic container with a tight-fitting lid; set aside. Sprinkle yeast over water and let soften 5 minutes. In a large bowl, stir dry ingredients together. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the 1/2 c butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. Combine starter, buttermilk, and yeast mixture; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Turn into prepared bowl, cover tightly. Store in refrigerator 4 or 5 days, making biscuits as desired. TO MAKE BISCUITS: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking pan, set aside. Take out about 1/4 c dough for each biscuit. On a generously floured surface, roll or pat out dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut with 2 1/2-3 inch biscuit cutter (or a similarly-sized glass). Arrange biscuits with sides touching; let stand 5 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until tops are golden brown. Serve warm. ***************** Darlene Here's an article I found at Countryside Magazine on sourdough that I'm gonna try: Doc Salsbury makes Sourdough D. L. Salsbury, DVm 3492 Stafford Wellsville KS 66092 An article on sourdough by Stan and Judy Payne of Licking, missouri, appeared adjacent to one I had written on making hams and bacons, back in the Nov./Dec. 1991 COUNTRYSIDE. The subject really caught my fancy, but it remained an itch I didn't scratch until some months ago. Now I'm hooked. It is so delightfully easy and fun, I can't imagine why I didn't get into sourdough years ago. Just what is "sourdough"? Basic sourdough had its beginnings before recorded history. The "leavened" vs. "unleavened" bread mentioned biblically was sourdough. Flour and water were mixed together and set aside to do "something." That "something" was a fortuitous catch of a naturally-occurring "friendly" yeast present on the grain and in the flour. Sometimes they would catch a wild mold that wasn't so friendly and the mixture would spoil, rendering it unusable. It was a tricky procedure. Starting over each time was fraught with disaster. People learned centuries ago that if they "caught" a good starter, they should take care of it. That was the beginning of our concept of sourdough, and that friendly yeast is now known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has the ability to ferment sugars and starches common in cereal grains. It is more commonly known as "bakers' yeast," which was not commonly available in stores until sometime after the turn of the century. Many immigrants to the U.S., especially European bakers, brought their bread starter cultures with them. Unfortunately, modern bakers' yeast is not an efficient fermenter of starch. Although it will do so weakly, it gets its kicks from sugar. So, what is the difference between sourdough, with its unique flavor and aroma, and common fresh bread, if both utilize the same yeast? It's the strain of yeast that's different. Bakers' yeast, and the endless varieties of lager beer, ale, and wine yeasts, are all strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but that's where the similarity ends. It's these unique strains, containing their peculiar physiological traits, that makes them unique for their particular purpose. All modern homemade sourdough starter recipes begin with common bakers' yeast - and they are flat! But over time, they will slowly begin to develop that characteristic sourdough flavor. How does this happen? By beginning with a culture of bakers' yeast, the rapidly developing acid pH and partially anaerobic conditions that develop in the flour and water media are rendered favorable to the culture of the friendly wild yeast in the grain to the detriment of undesirable organisms, especially molds. Over time, with the constant re-inoculation of fresh flour, the strain of yeast in the culture begins to attenuate and/by natural selection, bring out those individual yeast cells with unique genetic traits that are most efficient in fermenting starch. You will notice that, over a period of weeks or months, your sourdough starter will begin to ferment more quickly and more aggressively after each feeding. My starter is now 3-4 times more aggressive than it was at the outset. Whereas it required 3-4 days to complete its fermentation in the beginning, the ferment after feeding is now almost complete in 24 hours! The "sourdough" flavor it imparts to the breads has also increased several-fold. Preparing the sourdough starter Variety may be the spice of life, but it is also apparently the key to success. There are literally dozens of recipes for sourdough starters, presumably handed down because "Grandmother did it that way." Well, all the grandmothers but one couldn't be wrong. They probably used what they had on hand, guided by experience and superstition, so one must assume that there isn't any single "best" recipe. The singular factor that caught my eye in perusing dozens of these old recipes was the combined variety of flours used, particularly rye and unbleached wheat flour, plus numerous references to the initial use of potato water (which is highly fermentable) and of all things, many references in German recipes to the use of fresh hops in the pollen stage. If it make das bier gut, maybe geputten der hops in das pot maken das brot gut also, ja? Begin with a large-mouthed container, sufficient to easily accept a one-cup measure and to hold a total volume of 5-6 cups. It can be plastic or glass, but if it has a screw-on lid, be sure to poke a small hole in the lid with an ice pick or small nail. If the lid is tight the container could explode. An old cookie jar with a smooth interior or an old ice bucket are ideal. I began using non-bleached wheat flour, assuming it might contain more "natural" yeast than the bleached variety (but I don't know this for a fact). Once things began working, I substituted small amounts of rye, black rye, and semolina (durum) flour during my regular feedings. Recipe for starter 2 cups flour 1 cup water 1 cup cooled potato water (this really gets things going) 1 package bread yeast Mix well and allow to stand in a warm area until there are no more signs of fermentation. (The solution will separate and no more bubbles are present.) Stir well, remove 1 cup of the contents and stir in another cup of flour or flour mix and a cup of water. Do not use "self-rising" flour! Initially, the new starter is ready to use after 2-3 days, but it will not have that typical sourdough flavor until it has acquired some weeks or months of age. After the first fermentation is established, you can use it anytime, even if it has gone "flat." Do not refrigerate! Leave it on the counter. Many have told me that they mixed up a sourdough starter and used it once, but it didn't have a good sourdough flavor and then it "spoiled," i.e., it looked and smelled "yuckie." "Well dummy," I thought. "It's supposed to look and smell yuckie!" Sourdough will not spoil due to its highly acid pH, and because of its acid pH, it doesn't require refrigeration. Think about it. Covered wagons were the 19th century version of the RV, but they weren't equipped with refrigerators to hold the pioneers' sourdough starter! It bumped along experiencing all the elements of heat and cold in a small crock or wrapped in a leather pouch! Just remember to feed the little critter about once a week if you are not using it. To speed things up on baking day, you can feed the culture the day before and it will have little "yeasties" growing like mad at the time of use. My culture is now about six months old, the container has never been washed, and there are no signs of mold. Most likely because its pH measures 2.0! English muffins Patience is not only a virtue: it's an essential ingredient in sourdough breads. The thing that really caught my eye in the Payne's article was the recipe for English muffins. My first attempts were extremely disappointing! They were hockey pucks! Over time they began to improve slightly and by the 4th or 5th try they were somewhat edible, but they were still hockey pucks! Recipes simply cannot convey the art of cooking or baking gained by experience. Analyzing my problem, it occurred to me that I might not be giving them enough time to rise. Since the yeast must do its thing primarily on starch, as opposed to sugar, and starch is less fermentable than sugar, it stands to reason that it will require more time. However, as my starter became more aggressive, the time required for the dough to rise has been drastically reduced. Then it occurred to me. I have a perfectly good jerky dryer that maintains an internal temperature of about 105 degrees. That cut the rising time down to three hours for the initial sponge and two hours for the rising of the cut muffins. This is also how I learned not to allow them to over-rise. (See below.) Basic recipe for English muffins 1 cup unbleached white flour 1 cup semolina (durum) flour (This is used for pasta and can usually be found in larger supermarkets. It really improves the muffins, but if you can't find it, use 2 cups white flour.) 1 cup sourdough starter 1 cup buttermilk (or plain milk, but buttermilk is a lot better.) Mix the above thoroughly. It will form a wet, sticky dough. Cover tightly or enclose entire bowl in a 2-gallon Zip-loc bag which retains the moisture. Allow to rise overnight or until its volume has at least doubled. It takes only three hours in a 105 degree environment. When ready, the dough (sponge) will be almost frothy and easily stirred. Add: 2 level tablespoons sugar, honey, molasses or syrup 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon (rounded) baking soda Add variations, if wanted (see below, and I'll guarantee you'll want them once you've tried them!) Mix the above ingredients thoroughly into the sponge, then add an additional 3/4 to 1 cup white flour and mix. Knead with additional flour until a dough has formed that will hold a fairly good ball that only slightly sags. It may also have minor kneading "overlaps" that do not immediately reseal. Thoroughly sprinkle your work surface with white corn meal, and spread dough. Flip dough so it is covered with corn meal on both sides. Roll to approximately 1/2 inch thick. (I cheat by using two strips of wood cut 7/16 inch thick as rolling guides for uniformity. I also have a commercial 24 inch baker's rolling pin.) Cut into biscuits with a large biscuit cutter or small tuna can (preferred). If the thickness of the dough is right, the small tuna can will produce 12-13 large muffins. Allow to rise on a non-stick surface or cookie sheet sprinkled with white corn meal until they have about doubled in thickness. This will again require 3-4 hours at warm room temperature or 1-3/4 to two hours at 105 degrees. Don't allow them to over-rise or they will very rapidly crash into wet, sticky blobs. If they start to sag a bit, i.e., mushroom at the base and begin to lose their firm domed appearance on top, cook immediately, as they are getting ready to crash! Bake in a tightly covered electric skillet at 325 degrees (if you're cooking on a wood or gas stove use your best guess) for exactly 10 minutes on each side, and then an additional 5 minutes on each side. A timer is very helpful, if not essential, at this step. They should be a nice medium-brown on both sides. Cool exactly 30 minutes at room temperature, place in a two-gallon Zip-loc bag, and allow to "sweat" overnight to evenly moisturize. Variations: Onion dill: Add 2 heaping teaspoons dried chopped onions and 1 heaping teaspoon of dill weed. Great buttered and/or with a slice of good cheese. (I was eating one of these the other night with a slice of stink bier kase. Not paying attention to what I was doing, my wife sniffed the air and then asked me if I had left some old trash moldering.) Black rye: Use 1 cup white flour and 1 cup black rye flour. This is pumpernickel flour, not the regular rye flour found in stores. It is almost impossible to find in supermarkets. Check with your local bakery. Black onion rye: Add 2 heaping teaspoons dried chopped onions to the above. Raisin: Add 1/2 cup raisins and 2 teaspoons cinnamon to basic recipe. Orange raisin nut: Wonderful! Add 1/2 cup raisins, grated peel from 1 orange, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, and 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon. This is a real winner! Blueberry: Add 1/2 cup blueberries to basic recipe. Cranberry nut: This is everyone's favorite, including mine! Take 1/2 heaping cup fresh cranberries and cut them in half (or 1-1/2 oz. dried cranberries), grated peel from 1 orange and 1/2 cup chopped black walnuts. Cinnamon apple: Add 1/2 cup apple pie filling and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Cheese ranch: Another excellent recipe. Add 1 tablespoon ranch salad dressing mix plus 1/2 cup grated sharp cheese, the sharper the better. No, these don't taste like salad dressing, nor are they that cheesy. The two ingredients synergize with one another to produce a truly unique taste. Jalapeño: Add 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese, or mozzarella, or 1/4 cup each, and 1-2 finely chopped fresh jalapeño peppers. Or for a third variation, add 1-2 chopped jalapeño peppers to the cheese ranch recipe. Sourdough doughnuts 1 cup starter 1 cup milk 2 cups bleached or unbleached flour Mix well and allow to rise overnight. Then add: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup melted or liquid shortening 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs (beaten) 2-3 cups flour 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional) Knead well on floured surface and allow to rise until doubled. Knead again and allow to rise until doubled. Roll dough about 1/2 inch thick and cut with doughnut cutter. Allow them to rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes. Cook in hot oil (375 degrees) on each side until golden brown. Use a spatula to introduce them to the oil. A small wooden dowel works best to remove them from the hot oil. Drain for a few minutes on absorbent toweling, then shake in a paper bag with sugar until well coated. The following recipes for pancakes, waffles and bread are reproduced verbatim from the Payne article: Sourdough bread 2 cups starter 1 cup milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup sugar or honey 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons baking soda 5-7 cups flour 1 tablespoon yeast (optional) 1/2 cup wheat germ (optional - add with flour) Stir butter, sugar and salt into milk and cool to lukewarm. Add sourdough starter. Dissolve soda (and yeast if used) in a little warm water and stir in. Add flour until dough is kneadable. Knead well. Let rise three hours - or about one hour if yeast is used. When doubled, punch down and shape into two loaves. Place in greased loaf pans and let rise until the hump is above edges of pans. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Sourdough pancakes (Note: Remember to feed your starter the day before, or let the batter set several hours.) 1 cup sourdough starter 1 cup flour 1 tablespoon honey or sugar 1 egg, beaten 2 tablespoons oil or melted butter 1/2 cup milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon water Mix all ingredients except soda with starter. Heat a griddle or skillet to 375 degrees. Just before cooking, fold dissolved soda into batter. If batter seems too thick, dilute with lukewarm water. Bake as for ordinary pancakes. Sourdough waffles Use the above recipe with 4 tablespoons oil or melted butter. Using sourdough in other recipes Sourdough can be used in almost any recipe for quick breads, cakes, cookies, etc., by this simple substitution formula: For recipes using 2 cups of liquid, substitute 1 cup sourdough starter for 3/4 cup of the liquid and add 1 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of starter. Example: For each 2 cups liquid required in recipe, use: 1 cup sourdough starter 1-1/4 cup liquid (water, milk, etc.) 1 teaspoon baking soda For each 1 cup liquid required in recipe, use: 1/2 cup sourdough starter 5/8 cup liquid 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Preserving a starter culture Did you ever wonder how immigrants sailing in the cramped quarters of steerage managed to protect their starter culture during the weeks at sea? It is highly doubtful that they did it with a liquid culture in a loose-topped container! Neither did they have the convenience of modern dried yeast. . . or did they? Although I can't say for sure, they might have used one of the many methods I uncovered while researching old cookbooks. The following seems to combine all the essential elements of preserving starter cultures by drying. Dried yeast patties 2 cups starter 5 cups warm water 5 tablespoons shortening 5 tablespoons sugar, honey, molasses or syrup 1 tablespoon salt 4 cups rye flour, light or dark (There's that reference to rye again) 1/4 teaspoon ginger (Old wives' tale?) In a warm crock, mix everything but ginger into a thin batter. Let rise overnight in a warm place. Reserve 1 cup for future starter or current baking. Add ginger (?) and enough white corn meal to make a stiff dough. Stir well. Knead on corn meal-covered surface if necessary until dough can be worked. Roll and cut with cookie cutter or pat into small round patties (cookie style). Place on corn meal covered cookie sheet and turn daily until thoroughly dried. Keep in a cool dry place, but not the refrigerator! ***************** Cat Sourdough Fruit Cake I found this and I think it looks interesting. (sourdough?? ) When I make fruitcake at Christmas, I only use candied cherries and pineapple, no citron, which is the bitter stuff. I also like pecans in mine for the nuts. I'll try to find the recipe I use and post it later. ***************** ALASKAN SOURDOUGH FRUITCAKE 1 1/2 c golden and dark raisins, combined 4 c flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 c dried currants 1 tsp salt 1 c + 2 Tbsp blackberry cordial (or other wine) 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp cloves 1 tsp allspice 1 c Alaskan sourdough starter 1/2 tsp mace 6 Tbsp butter 3 c candied fruit: green and red cherries, pineapple, orange, citron and ginger (to taste) 1 c sugar 1 c brown sugar 3 eggs, well beaten 1 c chopped nuts 2 Tbsp grated lemon rind Soak raisins and currants in 1 cup wine overnight. Remove starter from refrigerator and set, tightly covered, in warm place overnight. (It should be in at least a two cup container as it will just about double its volume overnight.) In the morning, cream butter with sugar and beat in eggs and lemon rind. Drain wine from raisins into creamed mixture. Sift 3 cups of the flour with the soda, salt and spices. Stir in starter and flour mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of flour over the fruit and nuts in a large bowl. Toss and shake until well-coated. Add to batter and mix thoroughly. Turn into loaf pans which have been generously buttered. Let stand in warm place for 30 minutes. Bake in oven preheated to 300 degrees F, with a pan of water on floor of oven and rack as near as possible in middle of oven. Bake about 2 1/2 hours for medium-sized loaves, watching carefully to see that they do not brown to quickly. Test with toothpick. Remove from oven, turn pans on sides and allow to sit for a few minutes before taking from pans. When cold, drip 2 Tbsp of wine over each cake. As soon as it is absorbed, wrap tightly in cellophane freezer paper and store in refrigerator or freezer. They improve with age. ***************** Peaceful I like the sound of your fruitcake, Cat. Fruitcake can be really expensive with all the dried fruits. What in the heck is citron anyway? ***************** Cat Are you sure you want to know??? Sounds like it's a bitter/sweet chunk of plastic... ************* Citron From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The Citron Citrus medica is a species of citrus fruit. It is characterized by its thick rind and small sections. Generally, it is eaten preserved or in bakery goods, such as fruitcakes. (The candied peel rather than the fruit is often used in cooking.) The citron was the first of the citrus known to the Romans. Pliny's Natural History gives an account of the tree (HN xii.7) that some called the Assyrian, others the Median "apple" (the generic Greco-Roman name for globose fruits). In Pliny's time the fruit was never eaten (it began to be used in cooking by the early 2nd century), but its intense perfume was used, penetrating clothes to repel noxious insects (compare Citronella). According to Pliny, attempts to grow the Citron in pots for its medicinal properties were unsuccessful. The citron is known as the etrog by religious Jews, who use it in a ceremony on their Sukkot holiday each fall. In many non-English languages, a normal lemon is called a "citron" and a lime is called a "limon", so there is a high chance for getting things mixed up during translations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citron ************* Citron is a fruit grown for its peel which is candied. Citron: A citrus fruit from the Orient. A large fruit with a rough, uneven, thin yellowish-green rind. The edible part of the fruit is small and surrounded with a thick white inner rind. The juice is used in beverages, but citron is best known in its candied or preserved rind form, generally available in jars or packages and used extensively in fruit cakes. citron- a true citrus derivative which doesn't taste like one, at least in the processed form we find it packaged at market. From Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery: Citron--yellow-green and oval-shape, it is 6 to 9 inches long with rough skin and a small amount of acid pulp. It is grown for its peel, which is candied. Here in the U.S. it is hard to find except around the Christmas holiday. It is most often sold in a small dice in a small plastic container. It is often part of a premixed candied fruit mix intended for use in fruit cake. It lasts quite a long time in storage. http://food4.epicurious.com/HyperNews/get/...00/13113/2.html ************* Soooo... I learned something new, too. I always thought it was a generic term for any citrus peel that was candied. I *STILL* don't like it!!! In my opinion, it's the reason most people don't like fruitcake. Keep to the cherries & pineapple & try your Grandma's recipe. ***************** Lois Dried sourdough starter? Saving sourdough starter may be possible by soaking a square of muslin in your starter and then allowing it to dry. Store the starter in a covered jar or tin in your pantry. Restore the starter by soaking the muslin in a little water for 2 or 3 hours and then feed with flour and water just as if it was an established starter. I have read that this has been allowed to sit for up 6 months and it is still viable. How much longer it will store has not been tested as they used it and dried a new one at least this often. This apparently was adapted from the reports that immigrant women saved yogurt cultures this way and sewed it into the hems of their dresses, so it would not be taken from them on Ellis Island. You may also be able to keep yogurt culture viable the same way. This could be a good way to store sourdough starter that is not used regularly, or for your BOB. (Bug Out Bag) ***************** Darlene This is SO kewl Lois! ***************** Amber A Great Idea! Are there other ways to store and recover starter? I remember reading about pioneers crossing in covered wagons keeping a starter in the flour barrels, but never read how they kept the starter, i.e., in a crock, in a leather pouch, dried, or ?? Does anyone know or have a family story or recipe?? ***************** ma & pa steel I have been wanting to do sourdough bread. Now all I need to do is find someone to get a starter. I read some place that sourdough from different places have a slightly different flavor, maybe we could do a sourdough starter exchange. Have it go along with a seed swap, kinda like a little bonus. Ma Steel ***************** Granny Instructions for making yeast patties. Dry on cookie sheet and store at room temp. Sorry couldn't get it to copy and post info so have to link. LAST ARTICLE ON PAGE http://www.msnusers.com/asinglestandingtee...ughhowmake.msnw ***************** Lois It copies but, it copies white, so copied and selected black in my word document and here is part of it..... Recipe for starter 2 cups flour 1 cup water 1 cup cooled potato water (this really gets things going) 1 package bread yeast Mix well and allow to stand in a warm area until there are no more signs of fermentation. (The solution will separate and no more bubbles are present.) Stir well, remove 1 cup of the contents and stir in another cup of flour or flour mix and a cup of water. Do not use "self-rising" flour! Initially, the new starter is ready to use after 2-3 days, but it will not have that typical sourdough flavor until it has acquired some weeks or months of age. After the first fermentation is established, you can use it anytime, even if it has gone "flat." Do not refrigerate! Leave it on the counter. Many have told me that they mixed up a sourdough starter and used it once, but it didn't have a good sourdough flavor and then it "spoiled," i.e., it looked and smelled "yuckie." "Well dummy," I thought. "It's supposed to look and smell yuckie!" Sourdough will not spoil due to its highly acid pH, and because of its acid pH, it doesn't require refrigeration. Think about it. Covered wagons were the 19th century version of the RV, but they weren't equipped with refrigerators to hold the pioneers' sourdough starter! It bumped along experiencing all the elements of heat and cold in a small crock or wrapped in a leather pouch! Just remember to feed the little critter about once a week if you are not using it. To speed things up on baking day, you can feed the culture the day before and it will have little "yeasties" growing like mad at the time of use. My culture is now about six months old, the container has never been washed, and there are no signs of mold. Most likely because its pH measures 2.0! English muffins Patience is not only a virtue: it's an essential ingredient in sourdough breads. Basic recipe for English muffins 1 cup unbleached white flour 1 cup semolina (durum) flour (This is used for pasta and can usually be found in larger supermarkets. It really improves the muffins, but if you can't find it, use 2 cups white flour.) 1 cup sourdough starter 1 cup buttermilk (or plain milk, but buttermilk is a lot better.) Mix the above thoroughly. It will form a wet, sticky dough. Cover tightly or enclose entire bowl in a 2-gallon Zip-loc bag which retains the moisture. Allow to rise overnight or until its volume has at least doubled. It takes only three hours in a 105 degree environment. When ready, the dough (sponge) will be almost frothy and easily stirred. Add: 2 level tablespoons sugar, honey, molasses or syrup 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon (rounded) baking soda Add variations, if wanted Mix the above ingredients thoroughly into the sponge, then add an additional 3/4 to 1 cup white flour and mix. Knead with additional flour until a dough has formed that will hold a fairly good ball that only slightly sags. It may also have minor kneading "overlaps" that do not immediately reseal. Thoroughly sprinkle your work surface with white corn meal, and spread dough. Flip dough so it is covered with corn meal on both sides. Roll to approximately 1/2 inch thick. use two strips of wood cut 7/16 inch thick as rolling guides for uniformity. Cut into biscuits with a large biscuit cutter or small tuna can [preferred]. If the thickness of the dough is right, the small tuna can will produce 12-13 large muffins. Allow to rise on a non-stick surface or cookie sheet sprinkled with white corn meal until they have about doubled in thickness. This will again require 3-4 hours at warm room temperature or 1-3/4 to two hours at 105 degrees. Don't allow them to over-rise or they will very rapidly crash into wet, sticky blobs. If they start to sag a bit, i.e., mushroom at the base and begin to lose their firm domed appearance on top, cook immediately, as they are getting ready to crash! Ba
  4. The only thing "hidden" in my house is the extra set of car keys... or anything *else* I happen to need *right now*...
  5. Don't dress it in a pink frilly dress and a tiara as the Miami Babes do!!!
  6. We'll see if Mare remembers... maybe it was some of her mix recipes?? (reposted in the kitchen) I know baked goods are always nice. Hardly anyone bakes any more.
  7. BIS-QUICK-AS-A-WINK 8 Cups Flour 1 1/4 Cups Nonfat Dry Milk Powder 1/4 Cup Baking Powder 1 Tablespoon Salt 2 Cups Shortening Combine flour, milk, baking powder, and salt in a very large bowl. Cut in shortening until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Store in tightly closed covered container in a cool place. Makes about 10 cups. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BISQUIK MIX 10 cups all purpose flour 1/3 cup baking powder 1 tbsp salt 2 cups shortening Sift dry ingredients together. With a pastry blender, or two knives, or food processor, add shortening in spoonfuls and cut into dry ingredients until the texture of coarse cornmeal. Keep mixture stored in an airtight container. It will keep well for 3 months on shelf or longer in refrigerator. Use as you would Bisquick or biscuit mix. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FLAKY PIE CRUST MIX 12 1/2 c Unbleached Flour 5 c Vegetable Shortening 2 tb Salt ***** FLAKY PIE CRUST: 2 1/2 c Flaky Pie Crust Mix 1 Large Egg, Beaten 1/4 c ICE Water 1 tb White Vinegar Combine unbleached flour and salt in a large bowl and blend well. With a pastry blender, cut in shortening until evenly distributed. Mixture will resemble cornmeal in texture. Put in a large airtight container and label as Flaky Pie Crust Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 10 to 12 weeks. Or put about 2 1/2 cups of mixture each into 6 freezer bags. Seal and label bags and freeze. Use within 12 months. Makes about 16 cups mix, enough for 6 double pie crusts or 12 single pie crusts. ***** FLAKY PIE CRUST: Crumble Flaky Pie Crust Mix, if frozen. Put mix in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine ice water, egg and vinegar. Sprinkle a spoonful of the water mixture at a time over the flaky pie crust mix and toss with a fork until dough barely clings together in the bowl. Roll out dough to desired thickness between 2 sheets of lightly floured waxpaper. Place dough in 9-inch pie plate without stretching. Flute edges. If filling recipe calls for a baked picrust, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. (220 degrees C.). Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until very lightly browned. Cool. Fill and bake according to directions for filling. For double crust pie, place top crust over filling, press and flute edges, and cut slits in top crust. Makes enough crust for one 9-inch double-crust pie or two single-crust pies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MOIST PIE CRUST MIX 5 lb Unbleached Flour 3 lb (1 Can) Veg. Shortening 1/4 c Unbleached Flour 2 tb Salt 3 c Cold Water Combine flour and salt in a very large bowl. Mix well. With pastry blender cut in shortening until evenly distributed. Mixture will resemble cornmeal in texture. Add cold water all at once and mix lightly until the flour absorbs all the water and texture resembles putty. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle a little four over the top and mix until dough barely holds together in the bowl. Divide dough into 10 oblong rolls. Wrap each roll well with plastic wrap and heavy foil. Freeze and label as Moist Pie Crust Mix. Use within 12 months. Makes 10 rolls of mix enought for 10 double pie crusts or 20 single pie crusts. MOIST PIE CRUST: Partial thaw 1 roll of mix. Divide dough into 2 balls. Roll out dough to desired thickness between 2 sheets of lightly floured wax paper. Place dough in a 9-inch pie plate without stretching. Flute edges. If filling recipe calls for a baked pie crust, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. (220 degrees C.) Bake 10 to 15 minutes until very lightly browned. Cool. Fill and bake according to directions for filling. For double crust pie, place top crust over filling and flute edges, and cut slits in the top crust. Makes enough for one 9-inch double crust pie or 2 9-inch single crust pies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOMEMADE CORN BREAD MIX 6 c All-purpose flour 6 c Cornmeal 2 c Non-fat dry milk powder 1 c Sugar 1/3 c Baking powder 2 ts Salt 1 1/2 c Shortening that does NOT Require refrigeration Stir together flour, cornmeal, dry milk powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt in an extra large mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender till mixture resembes coarse crumbs. Store in a covered airtight container or self-sealing plastic bag for up to 6 weeks at room temperature. (For longer storage, place in freezer container and seal; store in freezer up to 6 months. To use, allow mix to come to room temperature.) To use mix for corn bread or muffins, lightly spoon into a measuring cup; level with a straight-edged spatula. Makes 16 cups of mix. To bake corn bread or muffins: Grease or spray an 8x8x2-inch baking pan or 10 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with nonstick spray coating. Place 2 cups Corn Bread Mix in a large mixing bowl. If desired, add 3/4 tsp dried basil or thyme, crushed; or dried chives, chili powder, or poultry seasoning. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Combine 1 beaten egg and 3/4 cup water in a small bowl; add all at once to mix. Stir just till batter is smooth (do not overbeat). Pour batter into prepared pan or spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake in a 425 degree over for 20-25 minutes for corn bread, and about 15 minutes for muffins or till golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Makes 10 servings or 10 muffins. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOMEMADE HOT ROLL MIX 5 pounds unbleached flour -- or all-purpose 1 1/4 cups sugar 4 teaspoons salt 1 cup nonfat dry milk -- instant Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together to distribute evenly. Put in a large airtight container. Label with date and contents. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6-8 months. Makes about 22 cups Homemade Hot Roll Mix. ***** Whole Wheat Hot Roll Mix Variation: Use 9 cups of whole-wheat flour and 8 cups of unbleached flour; decrease sugar to 1 cup. Substitute packed brown sugar for graunulated, if desired. Use within a week if stored in a cool dry place, as whole grain flours can turn rancid quickly. Will keep for 10-12 weeks under refrigeration or up to 6 months in the freezer. Makes about 18 cups Whole Wheat Hot Roll Mix. ~*~*~*~*~*~ (from a Kitchen post) Hot Roll Mix recipe This basic mix can be used in all sorts of rolls and breads. 20 cups (5 pounds) unbleached flour or all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 4 teaspoons salt 1 cup instant nonfat dry milk Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together to distribute evenly. Put in a large airtight container. Label with date and contents. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 to 8 months. Yields about 22 cups Homemade Hot Roll Mix. Pan Rolls 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted margarine 5 to 6 cups Hot Roll Mix In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Blend in eggs and oil or margarine. Add 5 cups Hot Roll Mix. Blend well. Add additional Hot Roll Mix to make a soft, but not too sticky dough. Knead about 5 minutes until dough is smooth. Lightly butter bowl. Put dough in bowl and turn to butter top. Cover dough with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan or two 9-inch, round pans. Punch down dough. Divide dough into 24 to 30 balls of equal size. Place balls in prepared pans. Cover and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 30 to 40 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Yields 24 to 30 rolls. http://www.giftsfromyourkitchen.com/mix/hot-roll-mix.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SELF RISING FLOUR 1/2 C Baking powder 1/4 C Baking soda 1/4 C Salt 5 Lb Flour Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to flour. Using 2 large bowls, sift the mixture 3 to 4 times. Store at room temperature and use in any recipe that calls for self-rising flour. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAST AND FESTIVE COOKIE MIX 6 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour 3 1/2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 teaspoons salt 2 cups (1 lb.) butter Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In 4-quart bowl or container, combine 1/2 each of the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With fork or pastry blender, cut 1/2 of the butter into mixture until consistency of coarse crumbs. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Transfer to tightly covered container. Store in refrigerator or freezer. Use within 4 weeks. Measure by dipping cup into mix; level off. Return unused mix to refrigerator or freezer. Let measured mix to come to room temperature before adding additional ingredients as directed in recipes. Makes 13 cups. TIP: To prepare cookie mix in food processor, place 1/2 each of the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in food processor bowl with metal blade. Process mixture until consistency of coarse crumbs. Transfer to tightly covered container. Repeat with remaining ingredients. High altitude (ABOVE 3500 FT): Increase flour to 6 1/2 cups. Decrease sugar to 2 ½ cups. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BROWNIE MIX 4 cups sugar 2 cups flour 1 1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp salt 1 cup vegetable shortening Put all ingredients except the shortening in a large bowl; use a spoon to mix until uniform. Cut in shortening using either a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture looks like chocolate cornmeal. Seal tightly in a plastic bag or jar, label and store at room temperature. Makes 8 cups of mix; enough for 4 pans of brownies. To Use: Put 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla or orange extract in a mixing bowl; beat slightly. Stir in 4 tablespoons melted butter or margarine which has been cooled. Lightly spoon 2 cups of the mix into the mixing bowl; do not pack the mix when measuring. Beat well with a spoon to make a somewhat smooth batter; stir in 1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired. Spread into a greased and floured 8 x 8 x 2 inch pan. Bake in 350 degree F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan then cut into squares ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK 2 cups instant non-fat dry milk 6 TBS melted margarine or butter 1 1/2 cups sugar 2/3 cup boiling water Mix dry milk and sugar together and then slowly add boiling water. Stir in melted butter. Whip in blender or by hand until smooth. Store in refrigerator for 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months yield is 20 oz. ( a can is 14 oz or 1 1/4 cups) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAKE MIX 1 7/8 cups cake flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup vegetable shortening Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; stir to blend; resift with sugar. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly. Label and store in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature. Makes 1 package mix. Each package makes two 8 or 9 inch layers or one 9x13x2 inch rectangle. ***** Yellow Cake: Pour 1 package of mix into a mixing bowl; add 3/4 cup milk and 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract. Using either an electric or manual rotary beater, beat at slow to medium speed for two minutes (by hand, beat 3 minutes averaging 135 strokes per minute). Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently as you beat. Add 2 eggs; beat 1 minute more (2 minutes by hand). Grease and dust with flour your choice of pan(s); spread batter evenly in pans. Bake round cake pans at 375 degrees F. for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; bake the 9 x 13 inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake(s) for 10 minutes in their pan(s) before turning out on racks. ***** White Cake: Follow the same directions as for Yellow Cake replacing the 2 eggs with 3 unbeaten egg whites. Use an electric mixer for beating. ***** Spice Cake: Add the following to yellow cake recipe and bake as directed: 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, pinch of ground allspice ***** Extract Flavored Cake: Replace the vanilla in either the Yellow or White Cake recipes with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the extract of your choice. You may want to add a few drops of food coloring for the flavors like lemon, orange, or cherry, etc. ***** Fresh Orange Cake: Pour 1 package of Yellow Cake Mix into a bowl and add: 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel (1 teaspoon dried). Squeeze the juice from 1 large orange and add to it enough water to measure 1 cup. Add this orange juice to the mix, beat for 2 minutes as directed previously; add 2 eggs; beat and bake as directed. **************** Cup Cakes: Pour cake batter into greased cupcake tins or tins lined with paper baking cups; fill 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Makes about 2 dozen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUTTERMILK PANCAKE MIX 2 cups buttermilk powder 8 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup granulated sugar 8 tsp baking powder 4 tsp baking soda 2 tsp salt Sift the ingredients together well. Store in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Makes 10 cups of mix. To make about 10 pancakes: 1 egg, beaten 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 cup water, or more as needed. 1 1/2 cups buttermilk pancake mix (see above) Mix ingredients until blended together; let it stand five minutes. Cook pancakes. NOTES: Use the mix within 6 months of when you make it. The pancakes made from this mix aren't as sweet as those made from Aunt Jemima mix, but they are good. You can always add sugar, of course. Although we haven't tried this (yet), you could probably vary the recipe by using a different type of flour to make, for example, your own buckwheat pancakes. If you can't find buttermilk powder in your local grocery store, try a bulk food store. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPAGHETTI SEASONING MIX 1 tb Instant Minced Onion 1 tb Cornstarch 1 1/2 ts Salt 1 ts Sugar 1 tb Parsley Flakes 2 ts Green Pepper Flakes 1/4 ts Instant Minced Garlic 3/4 ts Italian Sesonings* *If you have no Italian sesoning mix, use a combination of Italian herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, and marjoram) in any combination. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend well. Spoon mixture into a 6-inch square of aluminum foil and fold to make airtight. Label package as Spaghetti Seasoning mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 6 months. Makes 1 package (about 1/3 cup) of mix. Spaghetti Sauce: Brown 1 lb lean ground beef in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess grease. Add 2 (8 oz) cans of tomato sauce, 1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste, 2 3/4 cups tomato juice or water, and the seasoning mix. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 4 to 6 servings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SLOPPY JOE SEASONING MIX 1 tb Instant Minced Onion 1 ts Salt 1/2 ts Instant Minced Garlic 1/4 ts Celery Seed 1 ts Green Pepper Flakes 1 ts Cornstarch 1/4 ts Dry Mustard 1/4 ts Chili Powder Combine all ingredinets in a small bowl until well blended. Spoon mixture onto a 6-inch square of aluminum foil and fold to make airtight. Label as Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 6 months. Makes 1 package (about 3 T) of mix. Sloppy Joes: Brown 1 lb lean ground beef in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excesss grease. Add sesoning mix, 1/2 cup water, 1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over toasted hamburger buns. Makes 6 servings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GREEK SEASONING BLEND 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon beef-flavored bouillon granules 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container. Serve with steaks, pork chops, chicken, or fish. Yield: 1/4 cup. Store herb containers in a dark, cool, dry place up to six months. Because heat weakens spice flavors, avoid displaying seasonings on open racks above or near cook tops or ovens. Store seldom-used seasonings in the freezer to maintain freshness. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TACO SEASONING MIX 2 t Instant Minced Onion 1 t Salt 1 t Chili Powder 1/2 t Cornstarch 1/2 t Crushed Dried Red Pepper 1/2 t Instant Minced Garlic 1/4 t Dried Oregano 1/2 t Ground Cumin Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend well. Spoon mixture onto a 6-inch square of aluminum foil and fold to make airtight. Label as Taco Seasoning Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 6 months. Makes 1 package (about 2 T) of mix. Using the above recipe as a guide you can increase the amounts to make any number of packages. Taco Filling: Brown 1 lb lean ground beef in a medium skillet over medium-high heat; drain the excess grease. Add 1/2 cup water and the sesoning mix. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes filling for 8 to 10 tacos. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BEAU MONDE SEASONING 3 parts salt 3 bay leaves 6 parts white pepper 6 parts black pepper 3 parts nutmeg 1 parts cinnamon 3 parts allspice 3 parts thyme 3 parts mace 3 parts clove ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SEASONED SALT 2 tablespoons pepper 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder 1 teaspoon onion salt 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 tablespoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1 teaspoon dry marjoram leaves 1 tablespoon minced parsley 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon curry powder 1 tablespoon chili powder 1/3 cup salt Mix all ingredients together thoroughly, or put all ingredients in 1 qt. mayonnaise jar with tight fitting lid, shaking until blended well. Keep at room temperature. Use within 3 months. Makes about 1 cup. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOMEMADE PICKLING SPICE 2 tb Mustard seed 1 tb Whole allspice 2 ts Coriander seeds 2 Whole cloves 1 ts Ground ginger 1 ts Dried red pepper flakes 1 Bay leaf, crumbled 1 Cinnamon stick (2 inches) Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight jar or container. Use in favorite pickle recipes. Yield: 1/3 Cup ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUMPKIN PIE SPICE 1/4 cup ground cinnamon 1/8 cup ground ginger 1 Tablespoon nutmeg 1 Tablespoon ground cloves ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ APPLE MULLING SPICE MIX 3 boxes (1 ounce each) cinnamon sticks 6 whole nutmegs (1 ounce) 1/3 cup each chopped dried orange and lemon peel 1/4 cup each whole allspice and whole cloves 2 Tbs. finely chopped, crystallized ginger (1 ounce) Cut doubled layers of cheesecloth into fourteen 5-inch squares. Have fourteen 10-inch-long pieces plain white string ready. Put cinnamon sticks and nutmegs in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or a small heavy skillet until broken in small pieces. Mix with remaining ingredients. Tie 3 generous tablespoonsful in each cheesecloth square. Makes 14 bags. Each spice bag holds enough to mull a 750 ml bottle of red wine - about 3-1/4 cups - or a half gallon - 8 cups - apple cider. To mull wine, stir 1/2 cup water and 1/3 cup sugar in a 1-1/2 to 2-quart pan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add 3-1/4 cups wine and the spice bag. Reduce heat to low, cover and heat very gently until mixture is very hot but not boiling, about 20 minutes. Discard spice bag. To mull cider, just add spice bag to 8 cups apple cider in a 2-1/2 to 3-quart pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 to 35 minutes. Discard spice bag. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHOCOLATE A LA ESPANOLA (SPANISH HOT CHOCOLATE) 1/2 lb sweet baker's chocolate 1 quart milk 2 tsp. cornstarch Break chocolate into small pieces. Place in saucepan with liquid. Heat slowly, stirring with a whisk, until just before the boiling point. Dissolve cornstarch in a few tablespoons of cold water. Add dissolved cornstarch to chocolate mixture and stir constantly until the liquid thickens. Serve hot in warmed cups. Makes six small cups. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mixed spice is a spice blend, a ready made seasoning for desserts and other sweet foods. It is available at your supermarket or here is a recipe to make your own: 1 Teaspoon ground allspice 3/4 teasp ground cinnamon 1 teasp ground cloves 1 1/4 teasp ground ginger 3/4 teasp grated or ground nutmeg pinch of black pepper Mix the spices together and use immediately. Uses: Mixed spice is "the" sweet spice mixture; it is frequently called for in traditional recipes for cakes and biscuits and in those for old fashioned puddings and pies; it is a crucial component of many a traditional pudding mixture. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPICED & FRUITY TEA MIX This flavorful tea is good hot or cold. 1 jar orange breakfast drink (Tang), 15 oz size 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup instant tea powder (unsweetened) 1/2 cup lemonade powder (sweetened) 1 packet unsweetened cherry Kool-Aid 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg Mix together all ingredients well. Store tightly sealed. To serve, stir 2 Tablespoons of tea mix into 8 oz of hot or cold water. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RUSSIAN TEA MIX 27 oz. Tang 6 oz. sweetened lemonade mix 1 cup sugar 1 cup instant tea 1/2 teaspoon cloves 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Note: I use whole cloves and stick cinnamon instead of the ground forms listed in the recipe. Also the whole spices can be removed from the cup. Ground spices tend to not dissolve. Mix and store in an air-tight container. Use 1 teaspoon of mixture for a small cup of hot tea. Remember to pour hot water in the cup! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BAVARIAN MINT COFFEE CREAMER 3/4 cup non-dairy coffee creamer 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa (we used Droste brand) 3/4 cup confectioners sugar 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid. Shake well to blend. Store in airtight container and give creamer with the recipe for Bavarian Mint Coffee. Yields 15 servings. To make Bavarian Mint Coffee: In a mug, combine 2 tablespoons of creamer with 6 ounces of coffee. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AMARETTO COFFEE CREAMER 3/4 cup non-dairy coffee creamer 1 tsp. almond extract 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 3/4 cup confectioners sugar Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid. Shake well to blend. Store in airtight container and give creamer with the recipe for Amaretto Coffee. Yields 12 servings. To make Amaretto Coffee: In a mug, combine 2 tablespoons of creamer with 6 ounces of coffee. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAPPUCCINO MOCHA MIX 6 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons instant expresso coffee powder 3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa 1 1/4 cups powdered nondairy creamer, plain or Irish cream 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon In a medium bowl, stir together espresso coffee powder, cocoa, nondairy creamer, sugar and cinnamon. Store tightly covered. Makes 2 1/2 cups of mix (enough to 10 servings). NOTE: I only use about 1/2 the cinnamon called for and only use about 2 Tablespoons of the mix per serving. For each cup of cappuccino, measure 4 tablespoons mix into a coffee mug and stir in 6 oz. of boinling water. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAFE VIENNA MIX 1/2 c instant coffee 2/3 c sugar 2/3 c nonfat dry milk 1/2 tsp cinnamon Stir ingredients together. Process in a blender until powdered. Makes about 1 1/2 cups mix. Use 2 teaspoons to one cup of hot water. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAFE MOCHA MIX 1 1/2 cups instant espresso coffee granules 1/4 cup cocoa -- unsweetened 1/4 cup coffee creamer -- powdered 6 tablespoons confectioner's sugar Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well. Store in an airtight container. To serve, combine 1 to 2 tablespoons mix with 3/4 cup boiling water. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NIGHTCAP COFFEE MIX 2/3 c Non dairy coffee creamer 1/3 c Instant coffee granules 1/3 c Granulated sugar 1 ts Ground cardamom 1/2 ts Ground cinnamon Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; stir until well blended. Store in airtight container. Yields 1 1/3 cups coffee mix. To serve: spoon 1 heaping tablespoon coffee mix into 8 ounces hot water; stir until well blended. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MINTED COCOA COFFEE MIX 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup instant coffee granules 1/2 cup cocoa -- unsweetened 1 dash salt 6 peppermint candies -- crushed Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Mix well. Store in an airtight container. To serve, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons mix into cup or mug, fill with boiling water and stir to blend. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HIDDEN VALLEY RANCH BUTTERMILK DRESSING 15 square saltine crackers 2 c. minced dry parsley 1/2 c. dry minced onions 2 tbs. dry dill weed 1/4 c. onion salt 1/4 c. garlic salt 1/4 c. onion powder 1/4 c. garlic powder Put crackers through blender on high speed until powdered. Add parsley, minced onion and dill weed. Blend again until powdered. Dump into bowl. Stir in onion salt, garlic salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Put into a container with a tight fitting lid. You can store this dry mixture at roomtemperature for up to 1 year. To mix dressing, combine 1 tbs. dry mix with 1 c. mayonnaise and 1 c. buttermilk. Whisk till smooth, chill to thicken. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ITALIAN DRESSING MIX A very good salad dressing to marinate tomatoes & cucumbers 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese 1 Teaspoon dried minced onion 1 1/2 Teaspoons granulated sugar 1 Tbsp dried parsley, crushed 1/8 Teaspoon salt 1/4 Teaspoon dried oregano 1/8 Teaspoon seasoned pepper 1/2 Teaspoon crushed basil leaves 1/4 Teaspoon thyme or marjoram 1/2 Teaspoon celery seeds 1/3 c Garlic wine vinegar 1/4 Teaspoon garlic powder 3/4 c Vegetable oil DRESSING MIX: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until evenly distributed. Pour into a 1/4-cup container with a tight-fitting lid or wrap airtight in heavy-duty foil. Seal container. Label with date and contents. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months. Makes 1 package or about 4 tablespoons Italian Dressing Mix. ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING: In a small bowl or salad dressing cruet, combine Italian Salad Dressing Mix, venegar and oil. Stir or shake until blended. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes before serving. YIELD: About 1 cup. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAESAR SALAD DRESSING MIX 1 1/2 ts Grated Lemon Peel 1/8 ts Instant Minced Garlic 1/2 ts Pepper 1 ts Oregano 2 tb Graded Parmesan Cheese Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Put mixture in a foil packet or 1-pint glass jar and lable as Caesar Salad Dressing Mix. Store in a cool dry place and use within 3 to 4 months. Makes One 3/4 cup serving (3 Tablespoons) CAESAR SALAD DRESSING: Combine 1 pkg of mix, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and 1/4 cup lemon juice in a glass jar. Shake until well blended. Chill before serving. Makes about 3/4 cup of Salad Dressing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHITE SAUCE MIX 2 c Instant Nonfat Dry Milk OR 1 1/2 c Regular Non Fat Dry Milk 1 c Unbleached Flour 1 c Butter or Margarine 2 ts Salt In a large bowl combine dry milk, flour, and salt. Mix well. With a pastry blender cut in butter or margarine until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Lightly pack in a large airtight container. Label White Sauce Mix and store in refrigerator. Use within 2 months. Makes about 1 quart of mix. TO MAKE BASIC WHITE SAUCE: Use 1/2 cup WHITE SAUCE MIX and 1 cup of cool water. Combine in a small sauce pan (for thinner white sauce decrease the mix to 1/4 cup or for thicker white sauce increase mix to 3/4 cup). Cook over low heat until smooth, tirring constantly. Season with pepper, herbs, and spices. Makes about 1 1/2 cups of sauce. VARIATIONS: *Substitute milk, tomato juice or chicken or beef stock for all or part of the water. *Cheese Sauce: Add 1/2 to 1 cup Shredded Cheddar cheese after mixture thickens. Stir until cheese is melted. *Curry Sauce: Add 1 t curry powder to thickened mixture. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOMEMADE CHICKEN GRAVY MIX 1 1/3 cups instant nonfat dry milk powder 3/4 cup instant flour 3 tablespoons instant chicken bouillon granules 1/4 teaspoon ground sage 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper 1/2 cup butter or margarine Combine milk powder, instant flour, bouillon granules, thyme, sage and pepper. Stir with a wire whisk to blend. Cut in butter or margarine until evenly distributed. Spoon into a 3-cup container with a tight-fitting lid. Label with date and contents; store in the refrigerator. Use with 4-6 weeks. Makes about 2 2/3 cups Homemade Chicken Gravy Mix. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOMEMADE BEEF GRAVY MIX 1 1/3 cups instant nonfat milk powder 3/4 cup instant flour 3 tablespoons instant beef bouillon granules 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/8 teaspoon ground sage 1/2 cup butter or margarine 3 teaspoons brown sauce for gravy Combine milk powder, instant flour, bouillon granules, thyme, onion powder and sage. Stir with a wire whisk to blend. Cut in butter or margarine until evenly distributed. Drizzle brown sauce for gravy over mixture. Stir with wire whisk until blended. Spoon into a 3-cup container with a tight-fitting lid. Label with date and contents; store in the refrigerator. Use with 4-6 weeks. Makes about 2 2/3 cups Homemade Beef Gravy Mix. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOMEMADE ORIENTAL STIR FRY MIX 6 tablespoons cornstarch 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder 2 1/4 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules 3/4 teaspoon onion powder 6 tablespoons wine vinegar 6 tablespoons water 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger root -- grated 3/4 cup soy sauce -- or tamari 3/4 cup dark corn syrup 2 2/3 cups water Combine cornstarch, garlic powder, bouillon granules and onion powder. Use a whisk to stir in vinegar, 6 tablespoons water and ginger until cornstarch is dissolved. Stir in soy sauce, cornstarch and remaining 2 2/3 cups water. Pour into a 5-cup container with a tight fitting lid. Label with dates and contents. Store in refrigerator. Use within 4 weeks. Stir well before using. Makes about 5 cups Homemade Oriental Stir Fry Mix. NOTE : Use to make Teriyaki Beef & Vegetables, Shrimp & Vegetable Stir Fry, or Stir Fry Cashew Chicken. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ VEGETABLE DIP MIX 1 T Dried Chives 1/2 t Dill Weed 1 t Garlic Salt 1/2 t Paprika Combine all ingredients in a small bowl: blend well. Spoon mixture onto a 6-inch square of aluminum foil, and fold to make airtight. Label as Vegetable Dip Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 6 months. Makes 1 package (about 2 T) of mix. Vegetable Dip: Combine 1 T lemon juice, 1 cup Mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, and 1 package of mix. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 2 cups of dip. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DILL DIP 1 teaspoon dill weed 1 teaspoon accent (optional) 1 teaspoon season salt 1 teaspoon onion flakes 1 teaspoon parsley flakes Combine all and place on a piece of foil and wrap, or place in a small container. To use: combine with 1 cup sour cream and one cup Miracle Whip in a small bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. This makes an excellent vegetable dip as well as one for chips. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SESAME-CHEESE DIP MIX 1 tb Grated Parmesan Cheese 1/2 ts Salt 2 ts Toasted Sesame Seeds 1/2 ts Celery Seed 1/8 ts Garlic Powder Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; blend well. Spoon mixture onto a 6-inch square of aluminum foil and fold to make airtight. Label as Sesame Cheese Dip Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 4 months. Makes 1 package (about 2 T) of mix. This recipe can be increased to make more packages. Sesame-Cheese Dip: Combine 1 cup of sour cream and 1 package of mix. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 1 cup of dip. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ONION-CHEESE DIP MIX 1 tb Instant Minced Onion 1/2 ts Instant Beef Bouillon 1 tb Grated Parmesan Cheese 1/4 ts Garlic Salt Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; blend well. Spoon mixture onto a 6-inch square of aluminum foil and fold to make airtight. Label as Onion-Cheese Dip Mix. Store in a cool dry place and use within 3 to 4 months. Makes 1 package (about 3 T) of mix. This recipe may be increased to make more packages of mix. Onion-Cheese Dip: Combine 1 cup sour cream with 1 package of mix. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 1 cup of dip. VARIATION: Substitute 1 cup cottage cheese or 1 (8 oz) package of softened cream cheese for sour cream. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOMEMADE CREAM SOUP MIX To use in place of canned cream soups in casseroles or as a base for your own soups. Much lower in fat and salt than the canned versions. The trick is to have it made up ready to use! 2 c Powdered nonfat milk 1 ts Basil leaves 3/4 c Cornstarch 1 ts Thyme leaves 1/4 c Instant chicken bouillon 1/2 ts Pepper 2 tb Dried onion flakes Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. To SUBSTITUTE FOR ONE CAN OF CONDENSED SOUP: Combine 1/3 cup of dry mix with 1 1/4 cups of cold water in a saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. Add to casseroles as you would the canned product. Makes equivalent of 9 cans of soup. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ONION SEASONING MIX 4 ts Instant Beef Bouillon Gran. 1 ts Onion Powder 8 ts Dried Minced Onion 1/4 ts Bon Appetit Seasoning Cut a 6-inch square of heavy-duty foil. Place all ingredients in center of foil. Fold foil to make an airtight package. Label with date and contents. Store in a dry cool place. Use within 6 months. Makes 1 package ONION SEASONING MIX. Use this mix whenever your recipe calls for dry onion soup mix. I use empty bouillon jars, baby food jars, or those little gift jelly jars to store this mix in. P.S. Instant Beef Bouillon Gran. - means granules. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HEARTY SOUP MIX 1 pk (14 oz)Dry Green Split Peas 1 pk (14 oz) Alpahbet Macaroni 1 1/2 c Brown Rice 1 pk (12 oz) Pearl Barley 1 pk (12 oz) Lentils 4 c Dry Minced Onion Combine all ingredients in a large airtight container. Stir to evenly distribute ingredients. Label as Hearty Soup Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 6 months. Shake well before using. Makes about 12 1/2 cups of mix. Hearty Soup Stock: Put 6 cups of water and 1 1/3 cups of mix in a large kettle or Dutch oven. Add 1 1/2 T salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add 2 carrots, sliced, 1 or 2 stalks celery, chopped, 1 1/2 cups cabbage, shredded, 2 (15 oz) cans of tomato sauce, 1 (24 oz) can vegetable juice cocktail, and if desired 1 lb lean cooked ground beef or leftover cooked beef. Simmer 20 more minutes, until vegetables are cooked. Makes 6 to 8 servings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ POTATO SOUP MIX 1-3/4 cups instant mashed potatoes 1-1/2 cups dry milk 2 Tb. instant chicken bullion 2 tsp. dried minced onion 1 tsp. dried parsley 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper 1/4 tsp. dried thyme 1/8 tsp. turmeric 1-1/2 tsp. seasoning salt Combine all ingredients. in a bowl and mix. Makes 6 servings. Place in 1 quart canning jars to store. To serve: place 1/2 cup mix in soup bowl and add 1 cup boiling water. Stir until smooth. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PALOUSE SOUP MIX 2-1/2 c. green split peas (16 oz. pkg.) 2-1/2 c. lentils (16 oz. pkg.) 2-1/2 c. pearl barley (16 oz. pkg.) 2 c. alphabet macaroni (8 oz. pkg.)--I use brown rice instead 1 c. dried onion flakes (2 3/8-oz. pkgs.) 1/2 c. celery flakes (1 3/8-oz. pkg.) 1/2 c. parsley flakes (1 1/4-oz. pkg.) (Optional: 1-1/2 t. thyme; 1-1/2 t. white pepper) Mix all ingredients together. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Stir before using. Makes 10 c. of mix. TO COOK: Combine 1 c. of soup mix with 4 c. of water or seasoned stock in large pan. Add 1 c. of cooked chopped meat, if desired. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover pan. Simmer gently for 45 to 60 minutes, or until peas are tender. Add 1/2 t. salt if desired. MINESTRONE VARIATION: Combine 1 c. of soup mix with a 16-oz. can of stewed tomatoes, 2 to 3 c. water or stock, 1 chopped carrot, 1 to 2 chopped potatoes, and 1/2 t. basil. (Optional: 1 clove minced garlic). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover pan. Simmer 45 to 60 minutes or until peas are tender. Add 1/2 t. salt, if desired. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHICKEN-FLAVORED RICE MIX 4 c Uncooked Long-Grain Rice 4 tb Instant Chicken Bouillon 1 ts Salt 2 ts Dried Tarragon 2 ts Dried Parsley Flakes 1/4 ts White Pepper Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until evenly distributed. Put about 1 1/3 cups mixture each into three 1- pint airtight containers. Label. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 to 8 months. Makes about 4 cups of chicken-flavored rice mix. Recipe for chicken-flavored rice: 1 1/3 cups chicken-flavored rice mix 2 Cups of Cold Water 1 Tbs. Butter or Margarine Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and cook 15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Makes 4 to 6 servings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MEXICAN RICE MIX 4 c Raw Long Grain Rice 4 ts Salt 1 ts Dried Basil 1/2 c Green Pepper Flakes 5 ts Parsley Flakes Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Put about 1 1/2 cups of mix into three 1-pint airtight containers and label as Mexican Rice Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 6 to 8 months. Makes about 4 1/2 cups of mix. Mexican Rice: Combine 1 1/2 cups of mix, 2 cups cold water, and 1 T butter or margarine in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover and reduce heat. Cook for 15 to 25 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Makes 4 to 6 servings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DILL-LEMON RICE MIX 4 c Long Grain Rice, Uncooked 4 ts Dill Weed Or Dill Seed 8 ts Instant Chicken Bouillon 5 ts Dried Grated Lemon Peel 2 ts Salt Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and blend well. Put about 1 1/2 cups of mix into 3 1-pint airtight containers and label as Dill-Lemon Rice Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 6 to 8 months. Makes about 4 1/2 cups of mix. Dill-Lemon Rice: Combine 1 1/2 cups of mix, 2 cups cold water, and 1 T butter or margarine in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover and reduce heat. Cook for 15 to 25 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Makes 4 to 6 servings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ONION-FLAVOURED RICE MIX 4 c Uncooked Long Grain Rice 1 tb Parsley Flakes 2 pk (1 1/4 oz) Onion Soup Mix 1 ts Salt Combine ingredients in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Put about 1 1/3 cups of mix into three 1-pint airtight containers and label as Onion-Flavoured Rice Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 6 to 8 months. Makes about 4 cups of mix Onion-Flavoured Rice: Combine 1 1/3 cups onion-flavoured rice mix, 2 cups cold water, and 1 T butter or margarine in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover and reduce heat. Cook for 15 to 25 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Makes 4 to 6 servings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HERBED RICE MIX 1 package (3 pounds) long grain rice 2 cups dried celery flakes 2/3 cup dried minced onion 1/2 cup dried parsley flakes 2 tablespoons dried chives 1 tablespoon dried tarragon 3 to 4 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons pepper ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS: 2/3 cup water 1 tablespoon butter or margarine Combine the first eight ingredients; mix well. If giving for gifts place two cups each in a jar: makes 40 batches (10 cups total). INSTRUCTIONS TO ATTACH TO JAR: To prepare one serving of rice: In sauce pan over medium heat, bring water and butter to a boil. Add 1/4 cup rice mixture. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Yield: 1 serving. NOTE: To prepare more than 1 serving, multiply the rice mix, water and butter by the total number or desired servings and cook as directed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LONG-GRAIN AND WILD RICE MIX Yield: 5 servings 1 c Long-grain brown rice 1/2 c Wild rice 1 tb Dried parsley 2 ts Spike or all-purpose-seasoning 1 ts Dried thyme 1/2 ts Salt Mix ingredients and store in an air-tight container. Attach these instructions: To prepare, bring 3 1/4 cups water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add Rice Mix, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes. REmove from heat, and wait 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Total calories per serving: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INSTANT STUFFING MIX 3-1/2 cups unseasoned bread cubes 3 tablespoons dried celery flakes 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes 2 teaspoons dried minced onion 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1/4 teaspoon sage ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS: 1 cup water 2 tablespoons butter or margarine Place bread cubes in a jar . In a small plastic bag, combine celery flakes, onion, bouillon, poultry seasoning, and sage; mix well Tie bag shut and attach to jar of bread cubes. Instructions To attach To Jar: To prepare stuffing: In a sauce pan over medium heat, bring water, butter and contents of seasoning packet to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; add bread cubes and mix gently. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Toss with a fork before serving. Serving suggestions: add some sauteed mushrooms almonds and celery. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HERBED STUFFING MIX Ingredients (1 servings) 30 Slices Bread 3 tb Instant Minced Onion 2 ts Garlic Salt 1/2 ts Seasoned Pepper 1/3 c Cooking Oil 3 tb Parsley Flakes 3/4 ts Ground Sage Using a firm textured bread, cut slices into 1/2 inch cubes. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. (150 degrees C). Put bread cubes in two 13 X 9-inch baking pans. Toast bread cubes in oven for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Stir in oil, onion, parsley flakes, garlic salt, sage and seasoned pepper. Lightly toss bread cubes with seasonings to coat cubes. Put in a large airtight container and label Herbed Stuffing Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 3 to 4 months. Makes about 12 cups of Mix. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MACARONI AND TVP SKILLET MIX Yield: 4 servings 1 1/2 c Dry elbow macaroni 1 c Dry textured vegetable-protein (TVP) 3 tb Dried minced onion 2 tb Dried parsley 1 ts Dreid oregano 1 ts Dried thyme 1/2 ts Salt Combine all ingredients, and store in an sir-tight jar or plastic bag. Attach these instructions: To prepare, pour one 28-oz can tomatoes with juice into a large skillet or saucepan. Crush the tomatoes, add 2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Add Macaroni and TVP Skillet Mix. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add more water if necessary. If you like, add 1cup frozen peas during last 5 minutes of cooking. Total calories per serving: 268 Fat: 2 grams ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ POOR MAN'S SHAKE N BAKE Serving Size : 6 4 c Flour 1 c Bran flake cereal, crushed 2 tb Parsley flakes 2 ts Garlic powder 1 tb Onion powder 2 ts Chili powder 2 tb Taco seasoning 1 t Season pepper 1 t Curry (or more) 1 t Sweet basil 1 t Oregano Mix all together and use for coating any and all types of meat. I use a large size ZipLoc and just keep it in the freezer. It is a great all-round coating. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOMEMADE GROUND BEEF HELPER 2 cups nonfat dry "instant" milk 1 cup corn starch 1/4 cup unsalted chicken or beef bouillon powder 2 Tbsp. onion flakes 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. black pepper 2 Tbsp. dried parsley 1 Tbsp garlic powder Mix the ingredients together and store in an air tight container. Use the above "Helper" mix as a base for the following dinners. (Each serves four to six people.) ***** Chili Tomato Mac: Brown one pound ground beef or turkey and drain off the fat. Add one cup water, one and one-half cups of uncooked macaroni, two 15-oz cans chopped tomatoes, one tablespoon chili powder and one-half cup of the "Helper" mix. Simmer covered 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender. ***** Ground Beef Stroganoff: Brown one pound ground beef or turkey and drain off the fat. Add 2 cups water, one-half cup "Helper" mix and two cups uncooked egg noodles and stir. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes or until noodles are tender. Top with one-half cup "light" sour cream or plain yogurt. Serve immediately. ***** Hearty Potato Casserole: Brown one pound ground beef or turkey and drain off the fat. Add three-fourth cup water, six peeled potatoes (sliced very thin), one cup of frozen mixed peas and carrots and one-half cup plus 1 tablespoon seasoning mix. Simmer covered 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir, uncover and cook until excess water is evaporated. ***** Skillet Lasagna: In a large skillet, brown one pound of lean ground beef, crumble. Drain off the fat and add: one-half cup of the Homemade Ground Beef Helper Mix, one chopped onion, two cups water, 16 ounces of tomato sauce, three cups dry noodles and one-fourth cup Parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring until thickened. Top with two cups of mozzarella cheese five minutes before serving; turn off heat, stop stirring and allow cheese to melt. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHOCOLATE PUDDING MIX 2 1/2 cups instant nonfat dry milk 5 cups sugar 3 cups cornstarch 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 cups unsweeteened cocoa Mix all ingredients together until they are well blended. Store in a large airtight container or jar. To use: Make sure you stir mix before using - then measure out 2/3 cup of mix in a medium saucepan. Add 2 cups milk, one teaspoon vanilla and one tablespoon butter and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking and stirring for one minute. Remove from heat - cool. May be placed in individual serving bowls then cooled. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ VANILLA PUDDING MIX 3 c Instant nonfat dry milk 1 ts Salt 3 c Cornstarch 1 Vanilla bean To make mix into pudding: 2 c Milk 1/2 c Basic mix Mix the dry milk, sugar, salt and cornstarch until the ingredients are will blended. Cut the vanilla bean into several large pieces and stir them into the mix, seeds and all. Store mix in an airtight canister or tightly covered jar. TO USE: Stir the mix in the canister before measuring out 1/2 cup mix into a saucepan. Add 2 cups milk and cook over low heat, stirring, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. continue stirring for 1 minute, remove from heat, and pour into individual serving dishes. Pudding will thicken further as it cools. VARIATION: Fro a richer tasting pudding, try cooking as directed after taking the pudding off the heat, stir in an egg lightly beaten with 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Extract, and 1 Tablespoon sweet butter into the pudding. Cover and let sit for a minute or two, uncover and stir, and then pour into the individual serving dishes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  8. **THIS IS NANA'S RECIPE** Okay... I don't really write out my recipes very much but I'll give it a shot! For the broth: 1 or more whole chickens for every chicken you need - 1 large or 2 small onions (quartered is fine) 2 large carrots, peeled and cut in chunks 3 stalks of celery, cut in chunks 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half 2 teaspoons peppercorns 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper 3 bay leaves 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon nutmeg [or 1/2 fresh grated nut (nutmeg- nut!)] Thoroughly rinse chicken inside and out, and remove extra fat. Put everything in a big stock pot and cover chicken with cold water. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer. Cook until chicken pulls away from bones easily. Remove chicken. Strain broth, cool, skim fat. To make the soup, remove from bones and chop the chicken into bite size pieces, add to broth and heat. Adjust seasonings with garlic powder, onion powder, and Tabasco sauce. It should 'bite' your tongue but not cause you to faint! Bring to a gentle boil and add egg noodles. This soup should be thick with chicken and noodles, almost a stew. Serve hot with saltine crackers or garlic bread. Now... if that seems to be a lot of spice, that's the idea! The more garlic, onion and red pepper you have in it, the better it will make you feel. Trust me on this. I've brought people back from the brink of death with this soup! I'm only half kidding! If you make it, make it exactly this way - if you change anything it won't be my Kick-As* Cure All soup!
  9. 05/25/04 I bought the newest Ball “Blue Book” recently and compared it to my “old” one, from 1994. I was glad to see no big changes in recommended techniques and processes. But if your “Blue Book” is older than that, please consider buying a new one, or look up current processing times on the internet, or ask here for the information. Most states have an “Cooperative Extension Office” for this kind of information. The “Blue Book” is generally under $8.00. I’m giving you the “short lesson” on canning, but when you set out to do it, have a current book on canning, like the Ball Blue Book, handy. Don’t risk your family’s health on a preventable mistake. Canning foods interrupts the normal spoiling process of foods. Using the two-piece vacuum sealing caps, heat destroys microorganisms and at the same time drives out air. When the jar cools, the lid seals onto the jar and prevents microorganisms from entering and contaminating the food. A perfect seal is required for this, so never reuse lids, only the screw bands which hold the lids until sealing. The method of canning is determined by the amount of acid in the foods. Water bath canning may be used for “high acid” foods including most fruits, pickles, and tomatoes (if properly prepared with added acid). Pressure canning must be used for “low acid” foods, which include vegetables and meats, and combinations which may contain a mixture of low & high acid foods (soups, for example). THE CANNER: You may use a pressure canner for water-bath canning (by not using the pressure features), but you can not make a pressure canner out of a water bath canner. A water bath canner needs to have a rack to hold the jars off the bottom of the canner, plus have one to two inches of water *over* the tops of the lids. The water needs to completely surround the jars, and the boiling water remains at 212 degrees F (heavy boil) for the entire time recommended for that food & jar size. Keep the lid on while canning to keep everything hot & boiling. The same times apply whether you have one jar inside or a full canner. So you *could* use a regular large pan with a lid and a small rack inside, if you are careful and do it according to directions. There are two kinds of pressure canners - one has a dial gauge which should be tested every year (Blue Book recommendation). You get the pressure up to the needed pressure, close a vent, regulate the temperature, and then keep an eye on the gauge to be sure it stays in the safe range until the canning process is finished. Dial gauges may be checked by your local County Extension Office. The other type is a weighted gauge canner which uses a weight to regulate the pressure. I have one with three different settings on the weight. You get the water hot enough to emit steam for 10 minutes, then place the weight on. The weight “jiggles” to allow a bit of the pressure out, regulated by the temperature of the stove. You have to learn to time the “jiggles” of the weight, several per minute, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the weight is damaged you must replace it, but otherwise it’s good for years. With both canners you need to keep the rubber gasket in good condition, or replace it. Before canning, make sure the vent is cleared by drawing a string through it (a plugged vent will cause your canner to blow up!) and make sure the safety valve is good. If you live at higher altitudes, you must adjust your canning accordingly. Ask your County Extension Office for specific instructions. Follow the directions for your own canner. Many times you can look on the internet and find the manufacturer’s website and find downloadable information about using your canner. Or ask… chances are someone here has a canner like yours. Cat ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 05/28/04 Thanks Cat! I am going to try to use my pressure canner this summer for the first time. I bought all the supplies in 99, but my old stove turned out not to be safe for canning since it was a smooth top range. Here I have an "old fashioned" electric stove so I can finally learn to can! Becca Anne ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 05/31/04 please tell me after me reading this post that i can... can... i have a brand new smooth surface stove and finally have all the stuff to can... if i cant can i am in deep trouble as i am on SSI and cant afford to get a new stove just to get a grill one to can. the one i have came with the house. oh gosh... in total panick... and living off of 139.00 in food stamps for two ppl a month and need to learn to can fast. hugs teri aka little pixey little pixey ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 05/31/04 Oh, my, I'm not sure I can tell you it's ok. Find the name and manufacturer of your stove and check online for a website. Or call a number in the instruction booklet. You'll have to ask *them*. I've heard that some have worked, but *especially if it's not yours*, you shouldn't take the chance on breaking it & having to replace it. Do you have a friend you could work with for both of you to can, using her stove? Or a church with a kitchen who would let you use theirs? Cat ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 06/01/04 seems it is a toss up! I would contact the manufacture of your stove and ask them, just to be sure. Here is some responses I found.. http://www.weblife.org/forum/messages/14/113.html http://www.wireboard.com/~jleitess/country...f1eb73cf13e.htm this link says no because their waterbath canner doesn't hae a flat bottom...hummmm if your pressure canner is a flat bottom??? why not? http://www.kitchenkrafts.com/product.asp?product=fp0175 westbrook ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 06/04/04 My stove is a ceramic flat top and I have used it successfully. I think the issue is if the canner you're using is flat on the bottom or if it has a curvature. With these types of stoves, it must be flat. The canner won't get hot enough if it's a curvature. I have a waterbath and a pressure canner. The house we're renting has a regular stove so I won't have to worry about that this summer. ( I sure miss MY stove!) mommafitz ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 06/21/04 I too, have the ceramic flat top stove, my pressure canner works fine on it. No problems at all. unikemom ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 06/21/04 Littlepixie, if you decide that you can't use the stove, a possible solution: Check on line with Harbor Freight, they have small one and two burner gas hot plates at a fairly low price (under$30 I think) this could be a soultion for your problem. Any way the best of luck, we've found canning can be a real help. Oldpine ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 06/22/04 I think my manual for the stove said something about the heat not being constant enough since it cycles on and off. However the odds are each stove is different. A hot plate would definately be a good alternative! Becca Anne ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 07/31/04 I know my sister has a flat top stove and she has canned a LOT of things on it. Maybe it depends on what kind of stove it is. Ok, now I have a question for all of you out there. Have any of you canned anything in 2 quart jars??? I bought a doz. of them and want to can meat in some of them, but the 'Ball' book does NOT say anything about canning in 2 quarts. I've looked and looked. My canner is a large one, I can can 19 pints in it, double layered. So putting in a few of the 2 quart jars would be no problem, it is just how long do I pressure them. I don't think I would need to pressure them for 2 hours. That would be a LONG TIME. Any way, any one have any ideas at all????? Snowmom ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 07/31/04 I would be afraid to try canning meat in that size jar Snowmom. Maybe you could can tomatoes in them or use them as canisters on your kitchen counter...or in a cabinet for storage of grits, flour, even spaghetti, macaroni or some colorful item. Wouldn't that be pretty? This doesn't answer your canning question though, does it? I looked everywhere and didn't find anything about canning in 1/2 gallon jars. I believe that Ball Blue Book would have some recipes if they considered it safe to can in this size jars.... ~just my thoughts SCMary ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 07/31/04 The kind of things you can can in a 2 qt or 1/2 gallon jar is fruit juices. Here is the problem, due to the size of the jar, it is felt that canning anything with density will not get hot enough in the center to destroy bacteria. I have a couple boxes of 1/2 gallon jars that I love and use for goat milk as I prefer my milk stored in glass. Great size for pickles. westbrook ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 07/31/04 Exactly right, Westbrook! I imagine the "Blue Book" assumes most people don't have access to the half-gallon jars anymore, so they stopped including info on them. Wish I lived closer to you, Snow; I'd love to have those jars for dry storage!!! Cat ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 07/31/04 While operating a convenience store we used to sell dill pickles, pigs feet, hot sausages, pickled eggs and other things that were sealed in glass gallon jars... so, naturally, I brought a lot of them home. I use them to store flour, rice, grits, corn meal, sugar, etc. in and I have really been pleased with them. After putting this 'stuff' in a jar, adding a couple of Bay leaves, putting lid on after I've made a small hole in the center, put a tab on, I take my trusty "Pump N Seal" and pump the air out and the little tab seals it until I need something from that jar. This has worked really well for me but my children think I'm crazy!!! SCMary ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 09/06/04 My husband sells appliances. He said that you can't can on a flat-topped stove because they weren't designed to take that kind of high heat for the extended period of time that canning requires. They shatter. I wouldn't risk it, as it could be dangerous, and not to mention you'd have to replace your stove. Now maybe there are some brands that say different, I don't know. philomena ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  10. Cat

    I'm Home!!!!

    Hi Everyone!!!!! I've been away awhile and well.....it's high time I got back here I've been so busy with ... everything! But I really missed this place! I'd be off doing some chore and find myself wondering..hmmmm...I wonder what the girls have done to Ed's shop, or .....I wonder if Cat has started any food fights lately........ I have so much catching up to do! I'll be reading old posts for days!!! But that's ok... I'm glad to be back and I'm glad to see familar faces!(And new faces too ) Kimba
  11. It's yucky here too. I just checked the temp, It's says it's 88 but feels like 95 - they aren't kidding either. It's terrible here. They are calling for thunderstorms tonight...we'll see... Kimba
  12. My 7mth old puppy got loose on friday, She broke her collar, she's still young and stupid and doesn't like to come when I call her. Luckily we did catch her (she's quick!). We came to find out she killed a squirrel, that must have what caused her to tug so hard. Anyway, we bought (what we hope is) a heavier collar. She's so strong and fast, and we live by a busy road... I'm just thankful we got her back safe. Kimba
  13. Cat

    Acres Size

    LOL! Thanks Westbrook (and Mr.Westbrook ). I coundn't ask for a more complete answer Thanks Again, Kimba [This message has been edited by kimba (edited August 02, 2002).]
  14. That's a good idea Mare. I can get a free copy because I live in NJ. So I'll visit those web sites next. I'm watching my account like a hawk now... Thanks for the tips! Kimba
  15. Cat

    Acres Size

    Hi! My DH and I are looking at properties and what we need to know is the size of an acre. Like xfeet by xfeet. Does anyone know this? I looked it up in my dictionary and it gave me the size in rods....I need to get a newer dictionary I think Kimba
  16. Hi Everyone! Well the ladies at the bank were much more helpful. The were confused as to what happened, but they were helpful. I just checked the status on my account and my money is back in. I don't know how it happened, so I'm not sure how to avoid it happening again. Ahhh.....life.....never a dull moment! Kimba
  17. Hi Everyone,<BR> I'm so mad! I went online to check my account balance and found that the bank and I didn't agree. I called the bank and well to make a long story short someone in GA used my credit card number, or they used it to purchase something online. The debit is from a Home Depot in GA. Now I still have my card(which I cancelled) so they must just have my number. To make matters worse the bank was sooooooo UNhelpful. I have to go to the branch tomorrow to straighten it out. Well at least I can yell face to face with someone.....<BR>Thanks for letting me vent!<BR> Kimba
  18. Cat

    Hot, Hot, Hot!

    Yes... It's quite yucky here. Not even a breeze....not close enough to the ocean...not high like mountains.....just HOT! Kimba
  19. Gov of PA just announced that all nine miners are alive. I thinks that awesome!!! We needed some good news!! Yippee!!!!!! Kimba
  20. Hi Cookie! That's actually where my family came up with "kimba". I was a little tike in the early 70's with very white blond hair and just a little bit of an attitude It just seem to fit. So "kimba" has been my nickname since.... Kimba
  21. Hey, Have any of you read "Patriots (Surving the coming collaspe)" by James Wesley Rawles? That is THE BEST survivalist fiction I have ever read. When I bought it 3 or 4 years ago you could only get it at his personal website, now amazon.com carries it. I actually have mine tagged at certain parts, lots of factual info squeezed in the fiction. It's definately a must read! Boy do I sound like a reviewer? Kimba
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